Oscient expands Factive to Canada

Tablets for bronchitis made by Oscient Pharmaceuticals Corp. are now available in Canada.

The Waltham drug maker said today Abbott Canada, an affiliate of Abbott Inc., are now selling the firm's Factive tablets, a five-day treatment for acute bacterial exacerbations of chronic bronchitis, or AECB.

Oscient said it had granted the commercialization rights for Factive to Abbott Canada last August.

"With extensive anti-infective experience, Abbott Canada is well positioned to launch Factive to Canadian healthcare providers," Oscient chief executive Steven M. Rauscher said in a statement. "In Canada, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients typically have two to three AECB episodes a year, resulting in 1.5 million physician visits annually."
(By Chris Reidy, Globe staff)