The initial novel therapies for gonorrhoea in a generation are being described as a "significant breakthrough" in the battle against increasingly resistant strains of the infection, according to health experts.
Cases of gonorrhoea are on the rise worldwide, with figures suggesting in excess of 82 million infections per year. Especially elevated rates are observed in Africa and nations within the WHO's Western Pacific region, which includes Mongolia and China to New Zealand. In England, cases have reached a record high, while figures across Europe in 2023 were three times higher compared to figures for 2014.
“The clearance of fresh medications for gonorrhoea is an critical and opportune development in the face of growing infection rates, increasing antimicrobial resistance and the very limited treatment choices at this time.”
Health officials are deeply concerned about the surge in antibiotic-resistant strains. The WHO has listed it as a "critical concern". Ongoing monitoring found that the effectiveness of primary antibiotics like cefixime and ceftriaxone jumped significantly between 2022 and 2024.
Zoliflodacin, marketed under the name a brand name, was approved by the US FDA in mid-December for treating gonorrhoea. This infection can lead to serious health problems, including infertility. Scientists believe that specific application of this new drug will help slow the development of resistance.
Another new antibiotic, created by the drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline, also received approval in the same week. This drug, which is also used to treat UTIs, was shown in trials to be successful in treating drug-resistant strains of the gonorrhoea bacteria.
Zoliflodacin stemmed from a new, not-for-profit approach for drug creation. The non-profit organisation Global Antibiotic Research & Development Partnership partnered with the pharmaceutical company Innoviva to see it through.
“This approval represents a huge turning point in the treatment of highly resistant gonorrhoea, which previously has been evolving faster than our drug pipeline.”
Based on results detailed in a major medical journal, zoliflodacin eradicated more than 90% of genital gonorrhoea infections. This places it at an equal footing with the existing first-line therapy, which combines two antibiotics. The study involved hundreds of volunteers from various regions including Belgium, the Netherlands, South Africa, Thailand and the US.
As part of the agreement of its collaboration, GARDP has the ability to register and commercialise the drug in many regions with limited resources.
Medical professionals on the front lines have expressed optimism. The availability of a one-pill regimen of this kind is hailed as a "game-changer" for gonorrhoea control. This is considered vital to reduce the burden of the infection for people and to stop the proliferation of untreatable gonorrhoea worldwide.
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