“GARDP’s efforts for drug-resistant gonorrhoea treatment receive boost from UK government”
“The Global Antibiotic Research and Development Partnership (GARDP) is pleased to announce a £1m investment from the UK Government’s Department of Health and Social Care. This funding will contribute towards accelerating the development of a new treatment for drug-resistant gonorrhoea with a primary focus on enabling sustainable access in low- and middle-income countries.
Gonorrhoea is a major global public health priority with an estimated 78 million new cases occurring globally in 20121 – and a priority pathogen identified as of high importance by the World Health Organization (WHO). Almost all antibiotic classes used against gonorrhoea have lost their efficacy because of antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
Globally, reports of multidrug-resistant gonorrhoea are increasing. In March 2018, Public Health England reported for the first time an individual who, while in abroad in South East Asia, was infected with a strain of gonorrhoea highly resistant to the current first line treatment recommended by WHO, and other commonly used antibiotics. Similarly, cases of gonorrhoea resistant to these drugs have been reported in Australia, France, Japan and Spain. With increased international travel, resistant strains spread quickly around the world. There is an urgent need for new treatment options, in particular to protect people in developing and emerging economies where the burden of infection is greatest.”
Source: GARDP