Cubist Pharmaceuticals

Cubist Pharmaceuticals, Inc. was an American biopharmaceutical company that targeted pathogens like MRSA.

.[1] The company employed 638 people, mostly in Lexington, Massachusetts.[2] On 8 December 2014, Merck & Co. acquired Cubist for $102 per share in cash ($8.4 billion).[3]

History

Cubist was founded in May 1992 by John K. Clarke, Paul R. Schimmel, Ph.D. and Barry M. Bloom, Ph.D, all of whom were also directors.[4] Cubist appeared on Fortune 2010’s List of fastest growing companies, and was named to the 2010 Deloitte Technology Fast 500.[5]

In 2011, the company acquired Adolor, maker of a drug for treatment of constipation.

In July 2013, Cubist Pharmaceuticals agreed to purchase Trius Therapeutics and Optimer Pharmaceuticals for around $1.6 billion.[6]

In 2014, succeeding Michael Bonney as President, Robert J. Perez, was announced to take leadership on January 1, 2015.[7]

In January 2015, Cubist Pharmaceuticals became a wholly owned subsidiary of Merck & Co.[8][9]

Products

The company developed Cubicin (daptomycin) for injection, the first antibiotic in a class of anti-infectives called lipopeptides. In 2011, Cubist settled a patent litigation with Teva Pharmaceutical Industries regarding Cubicin.[10] In April 2011 it reached a deal with Optimer Pharmaceuticals in which its class of bacterium-fighting drugs will be co marketed with Optimer's Fidaxomicin/Dificid (for $15 million per year).[11]

In 2011, its product pipeline focused on gram-negative bacterial infections,[12] Clostridioides difficile infection,[13] and respiratory syncytial virus.[14]

Tedizolid was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration on June 20, 2014.[15][16]