The first new treatments for gonorrhoea in decades have been approved in the US, offering fresh hope against rising drug-resistant strains of the sexually transmitted infection. Health experts say the development could be a major breakthrough as global cases climb to more than 82 million a year and resistance to existing antibiotics continues to grow.
The US Food and Drug Administration has approved two new antibiotics, including zoliflodacin, a single-dose oral treatment shown to cure more than 90% of genital gonorrhoea infections in clinical trials. Gepotidacin, developed by GSK, has also been cleared after proving effective against resistant strains. The World Health Organization, which classifies gonorrhoea as a priority pathogen, welcomed the approvals as timely and critical, warning that resistance to current first-line treatments has risen sharply in recent years.
Researchers say the new drugs could help slow the spread of superbug gonorrhoea if used carefully, though they stress that continued surveillance and efforts to curb antibiotic misuse remain essential.
