The first new treatments for gonorrhoea in decades have been approved in the US, offering hope against rising drug-resistant strains of the sexually transmitted infection.
The US Food and Drug Administration has authorised two antibiotics, zoliflodacin and gepotidacin, after trials showed they were effective against resistant forms of the disease. Gonorrhoea infects more than 82 million people globally each year, with cases rising sharply in Europe and at record levels in England.
Health officials have warned that resistance to existing treatments such as ceftriaxone and cefixime is increasing, prompting the World Health Organization to classify gonorrhoea as a priority pathogen. Zoliflodacin, taken as a single oral dose, cured more than 90% of genital infections in trials, while gepotidacin also proved effective against resistant strains.
Researchers and public health experts say the approvals could mark a major shift in tackling the infection, expanding treatment options and helping slow the spread of multidrug-resistant gonorrhoea worldwide.
