The first new treatments for gonorrhoea in decades have been approved in the US, raising hopes of a breakthrough against drug-resistant strains of the sexually transmitted infection.
Gonorrhoea cases are rising worldwide, with an estimated 82 million infections each year. Rates are particularly high in Africa and the western Pacific, while England and much of Europe are reporting record numbers. Health authorities have grown increasingly concerned as resistance to existing antibiotics has spread, prompting the World Health Organization (WHO) to label gonorrhoea a priority pathogen.
One of the newly approved drugs, zoliflodacin (brand name Nuzolvence), was authorised by the US Food and Drug Administration this month. It belongs to a new class of antibiotics and was shown in trials to cure more than 90% of genital gonorrhoea infections, matching the effectiveness of current standard treatments. A second drug, gepotidacin, developed by GSK, was also approved after proving effective against resistant strains.
WHO officials said the approvals come at a critical time. Surveillance data shows resistance to commonly used antibiotics has increased sharply in recent years, narrowing treatment options. Researchers believe targeted use of the new drugs could help slow further resistance.
Zoliflodacin was developed through a not-for-profit partnership between the Global Antibiotic Research & Development Partnership and pharmaceutical firm Innoviva, with plans to make it accessible in low- and middle-income countries. Clinicians involved in the trials say a single-dose oral treatment could significantly improve gonorrhoea control and reduce the global spread of highly resistant infections.
