The first new treatments for gonorrhoea in decades have been approved in the US, raising hopes of tackling the rapid spread of drug-resistant strains of the sexually transmitted infection.
Gonorrhoea causes an estimated 82 million infections worldwide each year, with cases rising sharply in Europe and at record levels in England. Resistance to existing antibiotics has increased alarmingly, prompting the World Health Organization to label the disease a priority pathogen.
Two new antibiotics have now received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration. Zoliflodacin, approved on 12 December, cured more than 90% of genital infections in clinical trials and is taken as a single oral dose. Gepotidacin, developed by GSK, was approved a day earlier after proving effective against resistant strains.
Experts say the approvals mark a major breakthrough after years with no new treatment options. Researchers hope careful use of the new drugs will slow the spread of resistance and ease the global burden of the disease, which can cause serious complications including infertility.
