The first new treatments for gonorrhoea in decades have been approved in the US, raising hopes of a major breakthrough against drug-resistant strains of the infection.
Gonorrhoea cases are rising worldwide, with an estimated 82 million infections a year and record levels in parts of Europe, including England. Health officials are increasingly concerned about resistance to existing antibiotics, prompting the World Health Organization to label the bacterium a priority pathogen.
Last week, the US Food and Drug Administration approved two new antibiotics. Zoliflodacin, marketed as Nuzolvence, was cleared on 12 December, followed a day later by gepotidacin, developed by GSK. Both have shown effectiveness against strains resistant to current treatments.
Zoliflodacin cured more than 90% of genital gonorrhoea infections in clinical trials, matching the effectiveness of today’s standard dual-antibiotic therapy, but with the advantage of being a single oral dose. No serious safety concerns were reported.
Dr Tereza Kasaeva of the WHO said the approvals were “important and timely” given rising infections and limited treatment options, while Dr Manica Balasegaram of the Global Antibiotic Research & Development Partnership called the decision a “huge turning point” after years in which resistance outpaced drug development.
Researchers hope careful use of the new drugs will slow the spread of highly resistant gonorrhoea strains and reduce the global burden of the disease.
