Optimer Pharmaceuticals ($OPTR) CEO Pedro Lichtinger has been shown the door--another casualty resulting from an unusual stock deal that took down the company chairman last year. And former Pfizer CEO Henry McKinnell has stepped in as interim chief while the company considers its strategic alternatives--including a possible sale. Optimer won an approval for Dificid in 2011 and has been struggling to find the right price for the antibiotic. Baird's Brian Skorney picked Pfizer and Cubist as two likely bidders for the company, which is clearly in play now. Optimer's shares shot up in early trading. Release | Report