{"id":58769,"date":"2025-08-04T23:12:15","date_gmt":"2025-08-04T23:12:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/58769\/"},"modified":"2025-08-04T23:12:15","modified_gmt":"2025-08-04T23:12:15","slug":"millions-of-women-get-utis-each-year-an-antibiotic-30-years-in-the-making-is-finally-offering-hope","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/58769\/","title":{"rendered":"Millions of women get UTIs each year. An antibiotic 30 years in the making is finally offering hope."},"content":{"rendered":"

Most UTIs, or urinary tract infections, are anything but subtle. When you\u2019ve got one, you constantly feel like you need to pee even if you just went, it burns when you go and your urine looks suspiciously cloudy. UTIs are also quite common: More than 50% of women<\/a> will deal with at least one in their lifetime, and what\u2019s worse is that these infections can come back in a matter of months. Treating them has also become trickier. That\u2019s because there\u2019s a growing number of antibiotic-resistant UTIs<\/a>, meaning the drugs commonly used to kill the bacteria behind the infection no longer work as well.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot only are these infections painful and unpleasant, they are becoming more difficult to treat,\u201d says Dr. Cynthia DeTata<\/a>, an ob-gyn at Stanford Medicine Children\u2019s Health and a clinical assistant professor in maternal-fetal medicine at Stanford Medicine, tells Yahoo. She explains that the most common cause of antibiotic resistance is taking the medications improperly, such as not finishing the entire course of pills as prescribed. \u201cPartially treating an infection allows rebound growth of bacteria that are now resistant to that antibiotic,\u201d she explains.<\/p>\n

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Experts say there\u2019s an increasing need for new treatments to get UTIs back under control. The challenge? \u201cThe last time a new antibiotic was approved for an uncomplicated UTI was 30 years ago. Our treatments have remained unchanged, while bacteria have continued to evolve,\u201d Dr. Gil Weiss<\/a>, an ob-gyn at the Association for Women\u2019s Health Care<\/a> and assistant professor of clinical medicine in the department of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern Memorial Hospital<\/a> in Chicago, tells Yahoo.<\/p>\n

Now for some good news: There\u2019s a new antibiotic on the market called gepotidacin<\/a> (sold under the brand name Blujepa) that gives doctors a new way to fight pesky UTIs. It\u2019s the first new class of antibiotics since the 1990s<\/a>, and experts say it can help treat UTIs with a lower risk of resistance.<\/p>\n

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The problem: While there are effective drugs for UTIs, antibiotic-resistant infections are making them harder to treat.<\/p>\n

By the numbers: UTIs affect up to 16 million women in the U.S. annually, and for 30 to 44% of them<\/a>, the infection will come back in a matter of months. Studies<\/a> suggest that 92% of bacteria<\/a> behind UTIs are resistant to at least one antibiotic, and nearly 80% don\u2019t respond to at least two antibiotics.<\/p>\n

The solution: In March 2025, the Food and Drug Administration approved gepotidacin to treat uncomplicated UTIs. (Drugs Pivya<\/a> and Orlynvah<\/a> were approved in 2024 to treat UTIs, but they fall into existing antibiotic classes.) \u201cGepotidacin is part of a new class of antibiotics called triazaacenaphthylenes,\u201d DeTata says. \u201cThis class is so new that currently, gepotidacin is the only one in it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Antibiotics fight bacteria in two main ways: They can kill bacteria (bactericidal) or they can prevent them from multiplying (bacteriostatic), says DeTata. For example, some antibiotics interfere with the formation of bacteria cell walls, causing the wall to burst and killing the bacteria, while others disrupt the synthesis of proteins, which bacteria need to survive. \u201cGepotidacin works in an entirely new way by acting on enzymes called topoisomerases, leading to breaks in the DNA strands of bacteria,\u201d DeTata says. \u201cSo gepotidacin is bactericidal, as these breaks in the DNA strands kill the bacteria.\u201d<\/p>\n

The drug\u2019s main side effects in clinical trials were diarrhea (16% of participants) and nausea (9%), both which are common side effects for antibiotics in general. The research also found that gepotidacin performs just as well as (if not better than) nitrofurantoin, which is a frontline treatment for UTIs.<\/p>\n

Added bonus: Gepotidacin \u201chas the potential to be used for the treatment of gonorrhea, which has also been difficult to treat due to multi-antibiotic resistance<\/a>,\u201d says DeTata.<\/p>\n

For Weiss and many other doctors, having a new treatment option for UTIs is something to celebrate. \u201cI\u2019m very excited that a new medication has come to market,\u201d he says. \u201cAny new medication for something so common is a win-win situation.\u201d<\/p>\n

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