Breakthrough Oral Antibiotics Offer Hope Against Drug‑Resistant Gonorrhoea

Health experts are hailing a major breakthrough in the fight against drug‑resistant gonorrhoea as two new oral antibiotics have won approval or advanced toward approval after decades without new treatment options. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has recently approved Nuzolvence (zoliflodacin) and expanded the use of Blujepa (gepotidacin) as oral therapies for uncomplicated gonorrhoea, offering fresh weapons against strains of Neisseria gonorrhoeae that no longer respond to many older antibiotics. 

Zoliflodacin, developed through a collaboration between Innoviva Specialty Therapeutics and the Global Antibiotic Research & Development Partnership (GARDP), represents the first new class of antibiotics specifically for gonorrhoea in decades. In large clinical trials, a single oral dose achieved cure rates comparable to or better than current treatments, without major safety issues, highlighting its potential as a game changer in STI therapy. 

Blujepa, an antibiotic known generically as gepotidacin, also received expanded FDA approval for oral use, providing another crucial option for patients, especially where existing first‑line therapies are contraindicated or ineffective. Like zoliflodacin, gepotidacin works through a distinct mechanism that helps it remain effective against bacteria that have developed resistance to older drugs. 

The rise of antimicrobial resistance has made N. gonorrhoeae a global public health priority, as current standard regimens based on injectable antibiotics like ceftriaxone — once highly effective — are increasingly failing in some regions. The introduction of these new oral treatments is seen not only as a turning point for clinical care but also as a critical step in preventing the wider spread of resistant infections worldwide, particularly in low‑ and middle‑income countries where gonorrhoea incidence is high. 

While challenges remain — including ensuring access, responsible use to slow resistance, and continued surveillance — the arrival of these novel antibiotics marks one of the most significant advances in STI treatment in recent history, offering renewed hope in the global fight against drug‑resistant gonorrhoea