Optimer Pharmaceuticals and Astellas Pharma have teamed up again for the development and commercialisation of fidaxomicin, Optimer’s twice-daily antibiotic for Clostridium difficile infection, this time in Japan. The two companies share a similar arrangement in Europe and certain other countries in the Middle East, Africa and the CIS. Approved by both the US FDA and the EMA, fidaxomicin is sold as Dificid® in the US and will be launched as Dificlir™ in Europe in 2012.