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Factive Uses
If you have a bacterial infection, your healthcare provider may prescribe Factive. This medication is specifically approved to treat acute worsening of chronic bronchitis and mild-to-moderate, community-acquired pneumonia in adults. It works by interfering with bacteria's ability to multiply. A healthcare provider may also recommend using Factive off-label (for unapproved uses), such as for treating other types of bacterial infections.
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Factive® (gemifloxacin mesylate) is a prescription antibiotic medication that belongs to a group of drugs called fluoroquinolones, or just "quinolones" for short. Factive is approved to treat the following types of infections:
- Acute worsening of chronic bronchitis
- Mild-to-moderate, community-acquired pneumonia.
Chronic bronchitis is a type of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). COPD is a lung disease in which the lungs are damaged, leading to long-term breathing problems. With COPD, the airways (the tubes that carry air into and out of the lungs) are partly obstructed, making it difficult to breathe. Chronic bronchitis and emphysema are two kinds of COPD. While smoking is the most common cause, there are other possible causes of COPD.
Depending on the severity of your condition, your healthcare provider may recommend a number of drugs as part of your COPD treatment, including:
- Bronchodilators (medications to open the airways)
- Steroids (including inhaled steroids)
- Antibiotics, like Factive
- Immunizations.
Sometimes, people with chronic bronchitis experience a significant worsening of their symptoms. This is known as acute bronchitis. Factive is approved to treat these temporary symptoms. Specifically, it is approved to treat these exacerbations caused by the following bacteria:
- Streptococcus pneumoniae
- Haemophilus influenzae
- Haemophilus parainfluenzae
- Moraxella catarrhalis.
Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD