UPDATE 1-Cubist Q3 tops Street, narrows Cubicin sale view

* Q3 EPS $0.42 vs. est $0.33

* Q3 revenue $143.5 mln vs. est $142.1 mln

* Cuts upper end of '09 Cubicin sales view by $15 mln

* Shares rise 4 pct in after-hours trade

Oct 15 (Reuters) - Cubist Pharmaceuticals Inc (CBST.O) posted a quarterly profit that beat analysts' expectations, helped by a 26 percent jump in U.S. sales, but cut the upper end of its 2009 sales view for Cubicin, its antibiotic injection to treat bacterial infections.

For the third quarter, the biopharmaceutical company reported a net income of $25.4 million, or 42 cents a share, compared with $25.0 million, or 44 cents a share, a year ago.

Revenue for the quarter rose 28 percent to $143.5 million.

Analysts on average expected earnings of 33 cents a share, excluding special items, on revenue of $142.1 million, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S data.

The company, however, cut the upper end of its full-year sales outlook for Cubicin by $15 million. It now sees sales of $520 million to $525 million, compared to its previous expectation of $520 million to $540 million.

Cubist has recently faced generic threats to its lead drug Cubicin after a unit of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd (TEVA.TA) (TEVA.O) expressed interest to market a generic version of the drug.

Cubicin accounts for more than 95 percent of the company's revenue.

Talks of a possible acquisition of Cubist by the Swiss drug giant Novartis AG (NOVN.VX) have also been doing the rounds in the market. The two companies already have a partnership.

Shares of the Lexington, Massachusetts-based company were up 4 percent to $20.30 in after-market trade. They closed at $19.39 Thursday on Nasdaq. (Reporting by Krishnakali Sengupta in Bangalore; Editing by Aradhana Aravindan)