The novel drug under trial to counter antibiotic-resistant strains to treat UTIs in females

British pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) announced on Saturday that its new antibiotic drug, gepotidacin, has been successful in late-stage clinical trials for the treatment of uncomplicated urinary tract infections (uUTIs). The drug was found to be either equal to or better than the current standard of care, nitrofurantoin, for treating uUTIs in female adults and adolescents. GSK aims to propose its results for clinical approval crafting gepotidacin as a potentially viable and effective treatment option for uUTIs.

GSK is hoping to submit the results of its clinical trials to the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for review sometime in the latter half of the second quarter. If approved, this new type of antibiotic would be the first of its kind in 20 years to treat urinary tract infections that have become resistant to existing antibiotics. This could be a major breakthrough in the fight against drug-resistant infections.

According to Chris Corsico, GSK's Senior Vice President of Development, “Gepotidacin could be a much-needed solution for those at risk of treatment failure due to antimicrobial resistance or recurrence of uUTIs.” GSK estimates that more than half of all women worldwide experience a uUTI at least once in their lifetime. If approved, Gepotidacin is expected to become a blockbuster drug, with non-risk adjusted peak year sales potentially reaching up to 1 billion pounds ($1.24 billion).