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New Gonorrhea Drugs Arrive After Decades
12 Jan
Summary
- Two new oral gonorrhea drugs approved, offering first options in decades.
- At-home STI testing technology is expanding rapidly.
- New tests and treatments face potential access challenges due to cost.
The agency approved two new oral medications for gonorrhea, marking the first advancements in treatment options for the sexually transmitted infection in decades. This development arrives as STI cases reached alarming highs during and preceding the COVID-19 pandemic, which disrupted sexual health services nationwide.
The pandemic also spurred innovation in testing, with technology from at-home COVID-19 tests now being adapted for syphilis and other STIs. Companies like Visby Medical have launched multi-infection urine-based tests with integrated telehealth, providing results and prescriptions within hours, a significant improvement over traditional lab-based testing.
While these breakthroughs offer greater accessibility and faster diagnoses, potential challenges loom. The higher price points of new tests and treatments may restrict access, and shifting to widespread home-based screening could complicate national infection rate tracking. Funding cuts to public health agencies also present further hurdles.
