Scientists have announced the discovery of a new antibiotic treatment for gonorrhoea, the first in 30 years. This breakthrough is seen as a key step in combating the growing issue of drug-resistant infections.
Gonorrhoea, a sexually transmitted infection (STI), can cause serious complications if left untreated, especially for women, where it can lead to ectopic pregnancies and infertility.
In recent years, the rise of drug-resistant gonorrhoea has limited treatment options. With no new antibiotics since the 1990s, health experts have stressed the urgent need for new treatments.
A recent study has shown that gepotidacin, an antibiotic used to treat urinary tract infections, could be effective against gonorrhoea, even drug-resistant strains. The findings, published in The Lancet and presented at the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) conference in Vienna, were part of a phase-three trial led by researchers from the UK and US, involving patients from multiple countries.
In the trial, 622 patients were given either gepotidacin (a pill) or the standard treatment of ceftriaxone (an injection) and azithromycin (a pill). The results showed that gepotidacin was as effective as the standard treatment for fighting the infection.
Importantly, gepotidacin was also effective against drug-resistant strains of gonorrhoea. No severe or serious side effects were reported in either group.
Researchers believe this new pill could be crucial in the battle against rising drug-resistant gonorrhoea strains. The pill-only treatment would likely improve patient comfort and reduce healthcare costs by eliminating the need for injections.
The study’s authors described gepotidacin as a “novel oral treatment option for uncomplicated urogenital gonorrhoea” and emphasized its potential as an alternative to current antibiotics.
However, the authors also noted that the study focused mainly on urogenital gonorrhoea in white men. More research is needed to understand the treatment’s effects on gonorrhoea in other parts of the body, as well as its impact on women, children, and people from different ethnic backgrounds.
The rise of antibiotic-resistant gonorrhoea is a growing concern. In 2023, England recorded its highest-ever number of gonorrhoea cases—85,000—many of which were resistant to ceftriaxone, the first-line treatment.
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) remains a global health threat, with some experts warning that it could render infections untreatable in the future. In 2019, AMR was responsible for over 1.2 million deaths worldwide, according to a 2022 estimate.
With drug-resistant gonorrhoea on the rise, the development of gepotidacin offers new hope in the fight against this dangerous STI.
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