Breakthrough Antibiotic Offers Hope for Drug-Resistant Gonorrhea

A new antibiotic called zoliflodacin has shown promise in treating drug-resistant gonorrhea, according to the results of a late-stage clinical trial. The antibiotic, developed by the Global Antibiotic Research & Development Partnership, cured uncomplicated gonorrhea infections as effectively as the current recommended treatment of ceftriaxone and azithromycin. Gonorrhea has developed resistance to all other antibiotics used to treat it, raising concerns about the emergence of drug-resistant strains. Zoliflodacin, which would be the first new gonorrhea treatment approved in decades, could be on the market by 2025. The World Health Organization has identified gonorrhea as a priority pathogen and warns of the urgent need for new antibiotics.