New Antibiotic Now Available for Treatment of Two Serious Lower Respiratory Tract Infections

More than 17 million people in the United States will be affected by two serious respiratory infections, community-acquired pneumonia and acute bacterial exacerbations of chronic bronchitis. Of those 17 million, 45,000 will die. Those at greatest risk are older Americans. According to the American Lung Association, pneumonia and flu are the seventh leading cause of death and the leading cause of death by infectious disease in the United States.

There is an increasing need among doctors for new treatment options that remain active against multi-drug resistant strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae (MDRSP). Streptococcus pneumoniae is a common cause of respiratory tract infections and its increasing resistance to commonly-used antibiotics is a major concern for the medical community.

Now there is a new antibiotic available called FACTIVE, giving physicians a greatly needed weapon to fight these two very serious respiratory tract infections. FACTIVE, in the fluoroquinolone class of drugs, offers a short-course therapy for patients that may be "at- risk" for MDRSP or those who have recently received antibiotics, have a compromised immune system or underlying medical conditions such as cardiac or pulmonary disease. FACTIVE was approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration based on clinical trials in nearly 7,000 patients. The Infectious Diseases Society of America cites FACTIVE as the most active antibiotic in the test tube of all fluoroquinolones.

Source: Oscient Pharmaceuticals Corporation