People: Optimer Pharmaceuticals Inc (OPTR.OQ)
OPTR.OQ on NASDAQ Stock Exchange Global Select Market
12.48USD
1 Aug 2013
12.48USD
1 Aug 2013
Price Change (% chg)
$-0.03 (-0.24%)
$-0.03 (-0.24%)
Prev Close
$12.51
$12.51
Open
$12.64
$12.64
Day's High
$12.65
$12.65
Day's Low
$12.48
$12.48
Volume
558,582
558,582
Avg. Vol
327,918
327,918
52-wk High
$16.77
$16.77
52-wk Low
$8.66
$8.66
Summary
| Name | Age | Since | Current Position |
|---|---|---|---|
Henry McKinnell |
70 | 2013 | Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer |
Stephen Webster |
51 | 2012 | Chief Financial Officer and Principal Financial and Accounting Officer |
Eric Sirota |
51 | 2013 | Chief Operating Officer |
Sherwood Gorbach |
77 | 2011 | Senior Vice President, Chief Scientific Officer |
Linda Amper |
55 | 2011 | Senior Vice President - Human Resources |
Meredith Schaum |
2013 | Chief Compliance Officer, General Counsel, Secretary | |
Mark Auerbach |
74 | 2013 | Lead Independent Director |
Michael Chang |
61 | 2012 | Director |
Stephen Newman |
62 | 2012 | Director |
Anthony Altig |
57 | 2007 | Independent Director |
Joseph Chang |
60 | 2012 | Independent Director |
Peter Grebow |
66 | 2009 | Independent Director |
Robert Zerbe |
62 | 2009 | Independent Director |
David Walsey |
VP - Investor Relations & Corporate Communications |
Biographies
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
Henry McKinnell |
Dr. Henry A. McKinnell, Jr. Ph.D., is Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer of Optimer Pharmaceuticals Inc. He has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer of the Company on February 27, 2013. He has served as a director since January 2011 and served as lead independent director from February 2012 until he was appointed as the Chairman of the Board in April 2012. Dr. McKinnell served as Chairman of the Board of Pfizer Inc., from May 2001 until his retirement in December 2006 and as Chief Executive Officer from January 2001 to July 2006. He served as President of Pfizer from May 1999 to May 2001, and as President of Pfizer Pharmaceuticals Group from January 1997 to April 2001. Dr. McKinnell served as Chief Operating Officer of Pfizer from May 1999 to December 2000 and as Executive Vice President from 1992 to 1999. Dr. McKinnell currently serves as lead independent director of Moody’s Corporation. Dr. McKinnell also serves as Chairman of the Board of the Accordia Global Health Foundation. He is Chairman Emeritus of the Connecticut Science Center, and is a member of the Academic Alliance for AIDS Care and Prevention in Africa. He served as director of Pfizer and ExxonMobil Corporation until 2007 and John Wiley & Sons until 2005. Dr. McKinnell holds a Bachelor’s Degree in business from the University of British Columbia, and M.B.A. and Ph.D. degrees from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business. |
Stephen Webster |
Mr. Stephen W. Webster has been appointed as Chief Financial Officer and Principal Financial and Accounting Officer of Optimer Pharmaceuticals, Inc., effective June 25, 2012. Prior to joining Optimer, he served as the Chief Financial Officer of Adolor Corporation from June 2008 until its acquisition by Cubist Pharmaceuticals, Inc. in December 2011. From 2007 until joining Adolor Corporation in 2008, Mr. Webster served as Managing Director, Investment Banking Division, Health Care Group for Broadpoint Capital (formerly First Albany Capital). Mr. Webster previously served as co-founder, President and Chief Executive Officer for Neuronyx, Inc. From 1987 to 2000, Mr. Webster served in positions of increased responsibility, including as Director, Investment Banking Division, Health Care Group for PaineWebber Incorporated. Mr. Webster holds an A.B. in Economics cum laude from Dartmouth College and a Master of Business Administration in Finance from The Wharton School, The University of Pennsylvania. |
Eric Sirota |
Mr. Eric Sirota has been appointed as Chief Operating Officer of Optimer Pharmaceuticals Inc., effective May 8, 2013. Mr. Sirota operated a consultant practice in the healthcare industry for more than three years, consulting with numerous pharmaceutical companies and healthcare service organizations to develop new, and enhance existing, business opportunities. Mr. Sirota has served as a consultant to the Company since March 8, 2013, providing product marketing and business advice to Optimer’s Board of Directors and CEO. In addition, from February 2010 until December 2010, Mr. Sirota served as President of Commercial Services of inVentiv Health, Inc., a provider of clinical, commercial and consulting services to the healthcare industry, where he developed strategies to address the need for integrated analytic, sales and marketing solutions. Prior to June 2009, Mr. Sirota served as an executive of Pfizer Inc., most recently as Vice President of Pfizer’s US Marketing, Commercial Strategy and Innovation and Regional Sales, responsible for the neuroscience and pain franchises. He received his B.S. degree in Pharmacy from Rutgers Collage of Pharmacy and his Master of Business Administration degree from The Wharton School, The University of Pennsylvania. |
Sherwood Gorbach |
Dr. Sherwood L. Gorbach, M.D. has served as Senior Vice President, Chief Scientific Officer of Optimer Pharmaceuticals, Inc. He joined the company as Senior Vice President, Medical Affairs and Chief Medical Officer in November 2005 and was promoted to Senior Vice President, Research and Development and Chief Scientific Officer in February 2011. In addition to serving on the faculties of Johns Hopkins, University of Illinois, and UCLA, Dr. Gorbach has been at Tufts University School of Medicine since 1975 as, among other things, Professor of Medicine, Public Health and Community Health and a Professor in the School of Nutrition and Social Policy. Dr. Gorbach was also Chief of Infectious Diseases at New England Medical Center from 1975 to 1987. In 1990, he served as the President of the Massachusetts Infectious Diseases Society, and in 1995, he was the President of the Society of Microbial Ecology and Disease. Dr. Gorbach received the Lifetime Achievement Award in Recognition of Exemplary Dedication and Leadership at the 3rd Congress on Anaerobic Bacteria and Infections held in Glasgow, Scotland in 2003. He was presented the Alexander Fleming Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2007 by the Infectious Diseases Society of America. In 2008, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Anaerobe Society of the Americas and in 2009 he received the Tufts University Alumni Association distinguished Service Award. He has served as editor of the Clinical Infectious Diseases for the past ten years. Dr. Gorbach received his M.D. at the Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston. |
Linda Amper |
Dr. Linda E. Amper, Ph.D. is the Senior Vice President - Human Resources of Optimer Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Dr. Amper has over 20 years of experience in human resources. Prior to joining Optimer, Dr. Amper was the Senior Vice President, Human Resources in OSI Pharmaceuticals (now Astellas Pharma), a biotechnology company primarily focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of molecular targeted therapies addressing medical needs in oncology, diabetes and obesity, from 2001 to 2010. From 1978 to 2001, Dr. Amper served at the New York Blood Center, a non-profit blood collection and distribution organization, where she held several key positions including her final position as Executive Director and Vice President of Long Island Blood Services, a division of the New York Blood Center and just prior as Vice President, Human Resources for the New York Blood Center. Dr. Amper holds a Ph.D. in philosophy, health administration from Columbia Southern, a Master of Public Administration with a specialization in health care from C.W. Post College, and a B.S. in medical biology also from C.W. Post College. |
Meredith Schaum |
Ms. Meredith Schaum has been appointed as Chief Compliance Officer, General Counsel, Secretary of Optimer Pharmaceuticals, Inc., effective February 26, 2013. Ms. Schaum has served as Company's Senior Corporate Counsel since January 2012. |
Mark Auerbach |
Mr. Mark Auerbach, CPA, has been appointed as Lead Independent Director of Optimer Pharmaceuticals Inc., effective February 27, 2013. He has been Director of the Company since June 2005. Over the last 18 years, Mr. Auerbach has served as a director for several companies. He currently serves as a director of Ventrus Bioscience, Inc., a development stage specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the development of late-stage prescription drugs for gastrointestinal disorders, specifically, hemorrhoids, anal fissures and fecal incontinence. From January 2006 through March 2010, Mr. Auerbach served as the Chairman of the Board of Directors for Neuro-Hitech, Inc., an early-stage pharmaceutical company which specialized in brain degenerative diseases. From June 2007 through August 2009, he served as a director for Collexis, a company which develops knowledge management and discovery software. From July 2007 through February 2009, Mr. Auerbach also served as director for RxElite Holdings, Inc., a company which develops, manufactures and markets generic prescription drug products in specialty generic markets. From September 2003 through October 2006, Mr. Auerbach served as Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors for Par Pharmaceutical Companies, Inc., principally a manufacturer and marketer of generic pharmaceuticals and the parent of Par Pharmaceutical, Inc. From 1993 to 2005, Mr. Auerbach served as Chief Financial Officer of Central Lewmar LLP. Mr. Auerbach received a B.S. degree in accounting from Rider University. |
Michael Chang |
Dr. Michael N. Chang, Ph.D, serves as Director of Optimer Pharmaceuticals, Inc. He has served as a member of the Board of Directors since the inception in November 1998, served as the Chairman of the Board of Directors until April 2012 and, from November 1998 to May 2010, served as the President and Chief Executive Officer. From November 1998 to January 2000, Dr. Chang was the Chief Scientific Officer of Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc., a publicly-traded personal care and nutritional supplement company. Dr. Chang joined Nu Skin Enterprises upon its acquisition of Pharmanex, Inc., a natural healthcare company, which he founded and where he was employed since January 1995 as Senior Vice President, Research and Development and Chief Science Officer. Before Pharmanex, Dr. Chang worked for 15 years in the pharmaceutical industry, at Merck & Co, Inc., a publicly-traded research-driven pharmaceutical company, Rhone-Poulenc Rorer Inc., which is now Sanofi-Aventis, a publicly-traded pharmaceutical company, and ArQule, Inc., a publicly-traded biotechnology company. Dr. Chang received a B.S. degree in chemistry from Fu-Jen University in Taiwan, a Ph.D. degree in organic chemistry from Brandeis University and post-doctoral training at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, or MIT. |
Stephen Newman |
Dr. Stephen L. Newman, M.D. has been appointed as the Director of Optimer Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Dr. Newman is the former Vice Chairman and Chief Operating Officer of Tenet Healthcare Corporation (THC), a health care delivery and services company, until his retirement in June 2012. Dr. Newman joined Tenet in February 1999 and held various positions of increasing responsibility before eventually becoming COO, including Chief Executive Officer for Tenet's California region. Before joining Tenet, Dr. Newman held executive positions at Columbia/HCA Inc. from April 1997 to February 1999 and served as Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of Touro Infirmary in New Orleans from August 1990 to March 1997. Prior to 1990, Dr. Newman served as Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine at Wright State University School of Medicine and as Director of Gastroenterology and Nutrition Support at Children's Medical Center in Dayton, Ohio. Dr. Newman recently completed a five-year term on the Board of Directors of the Federation of American Hospitals and presently serves on the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta's Labor Education and Healthcare Advisory Committee. Dr. Newman holds a bachelor's degree from Rutgers University, an M.B.A. from Tulane University and a medical degree from the University of Tennessee. He completed his internship, residency and fellowship at Emory University School of Medicine. Dr. Newman also completed the Advanced Management Program at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business. |
Anthony Altig |
Mr. Anthony E. Altig has served as an Independent Director of Optimer Pharmaceuticals Inc. Mr. Altig currently serves as the Chief Financial Officer at Biotix Holdings, Inc., a company that manufactures microbiological consumables. From December 2004 to June 2007, Mr. Altig served as the Chief Financial Officer of Diversa Corporation (subsequently Verenium Corporation), a publicly-traded company developing specialized industrial enzymes. Prior to joining Diversa, Mr. Altig served as the Chief Financial Officer of Maxim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a publicly-traded biopharmaceutical company, from 2002 to 2004. In addition to these and other corporate positions, Mr. Altig served as a consultant to the biotechnology and technology industry during his tenure at both PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP and KPMG LLP. In addition, Mr. Altig serves as a director and chair of the Audit Committee for MultiCell Technologies, Inc., a publicly-traded biopharmaceutical company and TearLab Corporation, a publicly-traded health care company focused on evidence-based ophthalmic devices for the diagnosis and treatment of age related eye diseases. Mr. Altig was recently as a Director of Ventrus Biosciences, Inc., a development stage specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the development of late-stage (PH II and PH III) prescription drugs for gastrointestinal disorders, specifically, hemorrhoids, anal fissures and fecal incontinence. Mr. Altig received a B.B.A. degree from the University of Hawaii. |
Joseph Chang |
Dr. Joseph Y. Chang, Ph.D. is the Independent Director of Optimer Pharmaceuticals Inc. Dr. Chang is the Chief Scientific Officer and Executive Vice President of Nu Skin Enterprises Inc., a publicly-traded personal care and nutritional supplement company. Dr. Chang served as the President of Pharmanex, Nu Skin Enterprises’ nutritional supplement division, from April 2000 to February 2006. Dr. Chang served as Vice President of Clinical Studies and Pharmacology of Pharmanex from 1997 until April 2000. From 1994 until 1997, he was the President and Chief Scientific Officer of Binary Therapeutics, Inc., a development-stage company in the biotechnology industry. From 1981 to 1991, Dr. Chang was a research executive at Wyeth Research, a research-based pharmaceutical products company and formerly known as Wyeth-Ayerst Research, and Rhone Poulenc-Rorer Inc., which is now Sanofi-Aventis. Dr. Chang received a B.S. degree from Portsmouth University and a Ph.D. degree from the University of London. |
Peter Grebow |
Dr. Peter E. Grebow, Ph.D., is the Independent Director of Optimer Pharmaceuticals, Inc. He was appointed as the chairman of the compensation committee in May 2010. Since March 2011, Dr. Grebow has been employed by P.E. Grebow Consulting, Inc. Dr. Grebow previously joined Cephalon, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, where he served as Senior Vice President, Drug Development, Senior Vice President of Business Development, Executive Vice President of Technical Operations, and Executive Vice President of Cephalon Ventures before retiring. Prior to joining Cephalon, Dr. Grebow served as the Vice President, Drug Development for Rorer Central Research, a division of Rhone-Poulenc Rorer Pharmaceuticals Inc., a pharmaceutical company, from 1986 to 1990. Dr. Grebow was recently appointed as a Director of Q Holdings, Inc., an emerging biopharmaceutical company that utilizes cell-based technologies to develop new treatments for debilitating diseases of the central nervous system. Dr. Grebow received his undergraduate degree from Cornell University, a Masters of Science in Chemistry from Rutgers University and a Ph.D. in Physical Biochemistry from the University of California, Santa Barbara. |
Robert Zerbe |
Dr. Robert L. Zerbe, M.D., is the Independent Director of Optimer Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Dr. Zerbe currently serves as Chief Executive Officer and President at QuatRx Pharmaceutical Company, a private biopharmaceutical company he co-founded in 2000. Prior to founding QuatRx, Dr. Zerbe served as Senior Vice President of Worldwide Clinical Research and Development at Parke-Davis, a pharmaceutical company, during which time he oversaw the development program of Lipitor®, Neurotin®, and other products. Prior to joining Parke-Davis, he held a variety of research and development positions, including Vice President of Clinical Investigation and Regulatory Affairs at Eli Lilly and Company, a pharmaceutical company, in the U.S. and U.K. Dr. Zerbe also serves on the board of directors of Aastrom Biosciences, Inc., a clinical development stage company. Dr. Zerbe earned his medical degree at Indiana University and received his post graduate training in internal medicine, endocrinology and neuroendocrinology at Indiana University and the National Institutes of Mental Health. |
David Walsey |
Basic Compensation
| Name | Fiscal Year Total |
|---|---|
Henry McKinnell |
-- |
Stephen Webster |
-- |
Eric Sirota |
-- |
Sherwood Gorbach |
562,546 |
Linda Amper |
1,206,950 |
Meredith Schaum |
-- |
Mark Auerbach |
-- |
Michael Chang |
5,433,160 |
Stephen Newman |
-- |
Anthony Altig |
-- |
Joseph Chang |
-- |
Peter Grebow |
-- |
Robert Zerbe |
-- |
David Walsey |
-- |
As Of 30 Dec 2011
Options Compensation
| Name | Options | Value |
|---|---|---|
Henry McKinnell |
0 | 0 |
Stephen Webster |
0 | 0 |
Eric Sirota |
0 | 0 |
Sherwood Gorbach |
0 | 0 |
Linda Amper |
0 | 0 |
Meredith Schaum |
0 | 0 |
Mark Auerbach |
0 | 0 |
Michael Chang |
831,091 | 15,164 |
Stephen Newman |
0 | 0 |
Anthony Altig |
0 | 0 |
Joseph Chang |
0 | 0 |
Peter Grebow |
0 | 0 |
Robert Zerbe |
0 | 0 |
David Walsey |
0 | 0 |
| Name | Shares Traded | Price |
|---|---|---|
SCHAUM MEREDITH |
1,789 | $7.53 |
SIROTA ERIC |
10,000 | $0.00 |
CHANG MICHAEL N |
117,263 | $1.08 |
CHANG MICHAEL N |
103,125 | $12.34 |
LICHTINGER PEDRO |
58,000 | $14.63 |
LICHTINGER PEDRO |
58,000 | $11.41 |
LICHTINGER PEDRO |
90,000 | $13.51 |
LICHTINGER PEDRO |
90,000 | $14.73 |
CHANG MICHAEL N |
145,312 | $12.34 |
AUERBACH MARK |
2,500 | $0.00 |
CHANG JOSEPH Y |
7,500 | $0.00 |
AUERBACH MARK |
7,500 | $0.00 |
MCKINNELL HENRY A JR |
10,000 | $0.00 |
ZERBE ROBERT L |
7,500 | $0.00 |
ALTIG ANTHONY E |
7,500 | $0.00 |
NEWMAN STEPHEN L |
7,500 | $0.00 |
GREBOW PETER E |
7,500 | $0.00 |
CHANG JOSEPH Y |
92,306 | $0.00 |
CHANG JOSEPH Y |
46,152 | $0.00 |
LICHTINGER PEDRO |
11,000 | $9.08 |
HARTMAN KURT M |
3,500 | $0.00 |
GORBACH SHERWOOD L |
3,500 | $0.00 |
WEBSTER STEPHEN W |
25,000 | $0.00 |
CHANG JOSEPH Y |
3,461 | $0.65 |
CHANG JOSEPH Y |
3,461 | $15.30 |

