Two newly approved antibiotics could mark a major breakthrough in treating gonorrhoea, as global cases of the sexually transmitted infection continue to surge and resistance to existing drugs grows.
The US Food and Drug Administration has approved zoliflodacin and gepotidacin, the first new gonorrhoea treatments in decades. Health experts say the drugs arrive at a critical moment, with more than 82 million infections worldwide each year and rising resistance to current frontline antibiotics.
Zoliflodacin, taken as a single oral dose, cured more than 90% of genital infections in clinical trials, matching the effectiveness of standard therapy. Gepotidacin, developed by GSK, has also proved effective against drug-resistant strains.
The World Health Organization has designated gonorrhoea a priority pathogen, warning that resistance to key antibiotics has increased sharply in recent years. Researchers hope the new treatments will slow the spread of resistant strains and improve disease control globally, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.
