The first new treatments for gonorrhoea in decades have been approved, raising hopes of tackling the growing threat of drug-resistant strains of the infection.
Two antibiotics – zoliflodacin and gepotidacin – were approved by the US Food and Drug Administration last week, as global cases of gonorrhoea climb to an estimated 82 million a year. Health officials have warned that resistance to existing treatments is rising rapidly, with the World Health Organization classifying gonorrhoea as a priority pathogen.
Zoliflodacin, sold under the name Nuzolvence, cured more than 90% of genital infections in clinical trials and is taken as a single oral dose. Gepotidacin, developed by GSK, has also proved effective against resistant strains.
Dr Manica Balasegaram of the Global Antibiotic Research & Development Partnership said the approvals marked a “huge turning point”, after years in which antibiotic resistance had outpaced drug development.
WHO officials said the new treatments arrive at a critical moment, offering fresh options as resistance to standard antibiotics continues to spread worldwide.
