A New Oral Antibiotic for the Treatment of Gonorrhea

The increasing prevalence of antimicrobial-resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae has led to changes in treatment guidelines. Currently ceftriaxone, an injectable agent, plus azithromycin is the recommended therapy. Isolates resistant to both drugs have been reported, raising the specter of untreatable gonorrhea in the future. Zoliflodacin (ETX0914), a first-in-class, investigational DNA gyrase/topoisomerase inhibitor, has received FDA “fast-track” designation for its development for oral treatment of gonorrhea. A phase II, open-label, partially manufacturer-supported trial comparing a single dose of 2 or 3 g of zoliflodacin with 500 mg of intramuscular ceftriaxone (randomized 7:7:4) for the treatment of gonorrhea was conducted at five sites in th…