New Antibiotics Approved to Combat Drug-Resistant Gonorrhoea

New antibiotics have been approved to combat drug-resistant gonorrhoea, marking a significant advancement in treatment options. The US Food and Drug Administration approved Zoliflodacin, also known as Nuzolvence, on December 12, 2023, and Gepotidacin on December 11, 2023.

Gonorrhoea, which affects over 82 million people globally each year, has seen rising drug-resistant strains, with the World Health Organization identifying it as a priority pathogen. Resistance to the primary antibiotics, ceftriaxone and cefixime, has increased sharply, prompting urgent calls for new treatments.

The approval of Zoliflodacin, which cured over 90% of genital gonorrhoea infections in trials, is seen as a turning point according to Dr. Tereza Kasaeva, director of the WHO's sexually transmitted infections department.

The trial involved 930 participants from Belgium, the Netherlands, South Africa, Thailand, and the US, and reported no serious safety issues. Dr. Manica Balasegaram, executive director of the Global Antibiotic Research & Development Partnership, emphasized the importance of this approval in addressing multidrug-resistant gonorrhoea.

The partnership has the rights to register and commercialize Zoliflodacin in low- and middle-income countries, which is crucial for global health efforts to control this infection. Clinicians, like Dr.

Rossaphorn Kittiyaowamarn from Thailand, believe that a single-dose oral treatment could significantly reduce the burden of drug-resistant gonorrhoea and its spread worldwide.