UPDATE 1-Optimer shares rise after report names Glaxo, Cubist as potential buyers

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* Co aims to get as much as $1 bln - report

* Optimer could get $15-$16/shr - analyst

* Shares up 18 pct

(Adds comments from an analyst, details)

April 2 (Reuters) - Shares of Optimer Pharmaceuticals Inc rose as much as 24 percent after a Bloomberg report said GlaxoSmithKline Plc and Cubist Pharmaceuticals Inc were among those interested in buying the antibiotic maker.

Optimer, the maker of diarrhea drug Dificid, aims to get as much as $1 billion in a possible auction, the report said, quoting two unnamed sources. (http://link.reuters.com/cys96t)

The report also named AstraZeneca PLC and Japan's Astellas Pharma Inc as potential buyers.

Robert W. Baird & Co analyst Brian Skorney said the $1 billion target implied a price of about $18 per share, which, he felt, would be difficult to achieve.

"I think we can see a $15 to $16 (per share) deal get done," Slorney said, calling the jump in Optimer's stock price a probable overreaction.

Tuesday's gains in the stock price eclipsed the 13 percent jump it had seen on Feb. 27, when the company first said it would explore a sale after replacing its CEO.

The shares were up 18 percent at $13.84 in afternoon trade on the Nasdaq, well above their closing price of $12.13 on Feb. 27.

"I think bankers are probably leaking some information to try drum up some more enthusiasm to get a higher deal value than what is already on the table," Skorney said.

Analysts have previously identified Pfizer Inc, Viropharma Inc and Cubist as potential suitors for Optimer.

"Anyone who has commercial infrastructure selling hospital-based antibiotics could be a bidder here," Skorney said.

"Astellas is already partnered with Optimer and since they already own most of the worldwide rights, it makes sense to consolidate everything."

Similarly, he said, Pfizer Inc had a number of antibiotics that would go generic over the next couple of years, so bidding for Optimer would make sense for it too.

Skorney said the cost, and the benefit, of the acquisition would be trivial for companies like Glaxo and Johnson & Johnson , but Forest Laboratories and Cubist would have to pay over 10 percent of their current valuation for Optimer.

Optimer spokesman David Walsey was unavailable for comment.

Cubist spokeswoman Julie DiCarlo said the company did not comment on speculation or rumors related to mergers and acquisitions. GSK declined to comment.

Dificid, which treats adult patients who contract infectious diarrhea in hospitals, accounted for $62.4 million in sales in 2012. The company is expected to generate sales of $310 million from the drug by 2017, according Thomson Reuters data.

Optimer is also testing to see if the drug can prevent diarrhea in patients under 18 years and whether it can treat it in patients undergoing bone marrow transplants.

(Editing by Sreejiraj Eluvangal)

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Buyer's remorse over medical device tax

By Greg Sorensen, M.D., chief executive officer, Siemens Healthcare North America - 03/26/13 12:15 PM ET

There appear to be a few glimmers of constructive activity in Washington, D.C. Last week, the Senate moved the ball forward on an issue that is extremely important to innovation and jobs in the United States. By passing an amendment to repeal the medical device tax by an overwhelming 79-20 votes, the Senate has done the right thing for patients and the U.S. economy.
The United States Senate has now joined a bipartisan majority of the House of Representatives calling to repeal the 2.3 percent medical device excise tax that has already damaged the U.S. economy and claimed thousands of jobs.

The American medical technology industry is responsible for and supports nearly two million jobs, creating a growing trade surplus and developing the technology essential to advancing patient care in the United States and around the world. However, since the January 1 implementation of the medical device tax, manufacturers have already paid an estimated $388,000,000 to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) so far this year, redirecting funds that could otherwise be directed towards investment in things like job creation and research and development.
The impact of these semi-monthly payments to the IRS is being felt far and wide. Every day, innovators in this dynamic industry work hard to improve the quality of life for patients by developing the next frontier of life-saving medical devices and imaging technologies. Meanwhile, the companies that manufacture these cutting-edge diagnostic and therapeutic tools are improving the health of the U.S. economy by supporting hundreds of thousands of jobs. From the physician reviewing a CT scan, to the technician performing a procedure, to the factory worker assembling a machine, the medical imaging and devices industry is an essential engine of economic growth.
The clock is ticking in Washington, and the tax continues to impact high-quality jobs and investments in tomorrow’s treatments and cures at companies large and small across the country. Repeal is critical in order to give this industry – and the thousands of Americans it employs – a much-deserved second chance.
Given the negative effects of the medical device tax, it’s not surprising that Republicans and Democrats in both the House and Senate are exploring alternatives. Fortunately, the 79-20 vote on Thursday is an important step towards reversing course and ensuring that the United States remains the global leader in medical technology innovation.

Sorensen is  chief executive officer of Siemens Healthcare North America and chairman of the MITA Board of Directors.

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Obamacare Buyer's Remorse?

 Highlight transcript below to create clipTranscript:  Print  |  Email Go  Click text to jump within videoThu 31 Jan 13 | 07:48 PM ET Some unions are growing weary of the health law they supported, with Grace-Marie Turner, Galen Institute president and Philip Dine, author of "State of the Unions."

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