- The FDA approved a new antibiotic to treat urinary tract infections in women and girls 12 and older. The company expects it to be available sometime in 2025.
- UTIs are becoming harder to treat as the bacteria that cause them become increasingly antibiotic-resistant.
- Nearly all bacteria that cause UTIs are resistant to at least one of the current medications used to treat the infections, and 8 in 10 are resistant to at least two.
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For the first time in nearly three decades, the Food and Drug Administration approved a new antibiotic for the treatment of urinary tract infections.
What do we know about this new treatment?
The company will sell the medicine as a pill under the brand name Bluejepa. The FDA approved the drug for women and girls older than 12 to treat uncomplicated UTIs.
Uncomplicated UTIs are those caused by bacteria and are the most common form of infection.
Why is this a big deal?
UTIs are becoming harder to treat as the bacteria that cause them become more resistant to the antibiotics currently available to treat them.
The drug’s maker, GSK, said about half of all women will experience a UTI in their lifetime. The company also stated that nearly 30% of women will experience a recurrence even after treatment.
According to the company, UTIs are the cause of roughly 8 million emergency room visits and 100,000 hospitalizations each year in the United States.
GSK’s chief scientific officer said this new medication may be harder for bacteria to become resistant to, as it works by interfering with two enzymes that bacteria need to copy themselves.
A 2019 study out of Saudi Arabia’s Qassim University found more than 92% of bacteria that cause UTIs are resistant to at least one drug used to treat them, and about 80% are resistant to at least two.
When will it be available?
Blujepa is expected to be available by the second half of 2025.
