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Oscient steps up antibiotic sales efforts

Oscient Pharmaceuticals Corporation has completed the expansion of its primary care sales force with the hiring of 150 new sales representatives, who will focus on the company's antibiotic, Factive.

The 250-person sales team will call on primary care physicians who account for 40% of fluoroquinolone prescriptions written for respiratory tract infections across the US.

The sales force is currently concentrating on the commercialization of Factive (gemifloxacin mesylate) tablets. Oscient began selling Factive in September 2004 and since launch estimates that over 100,000 patients have been treated either via prescriptions or full course therapy samples.

“Changes in the antibiotic marketplace last year created a distinct opportunity for Factive and we decided to expand our sales reach nationally (US),” stated Steven Rauscher, president and CEO of Oscient. “This expansion allows us to educate more physicians on our lead product while demonstrating the market potential for our drug.”

The expansion of the sales force is intended to assist the company in achieving two strategic goals in 2005: securing a second product to co-promote through the Oscient sales force, and forming a partnership with another company to promote Factive.