A Medical Review Of The Newest Antibiotic For Urinary Tract Infections

This week,  a story was released to the media about a new antibiotic for urinary tract infections (UTIs).  Here’s the headline: “FDA Approves First Antibiotic For UTIs In Over 30 Years”

 “A new antibiotic called Blujepa from drug manufacturer Glaxo Smith Klein (GSK) has been approved by the FDA and will be available later this year.”

Fact #1: The New Antibiotic Is Long Overdue, But is Not A Panacea

The article cites the need for a new antibiotic by saying “But the bacteria that commonly cause them (UTIs) are increasingly becoming resistant to the standard antibiotics, making treatment more difficult”.

It’s true that the medical community has been waiting for decades for the development of a new antibiotic that will successfully treat UTIs.  Many oral antibiotics such as Bactrim, Cipro, etc., are no longer as effective as they once were.

However, this new drug is not the panacea that the news articles are making it out to be.   You should know the facts.

Fact #2: The New Antibiotic Only Targets The E. Coli Bacteria

While E. Coli is the most common bacterial strain causing UTIs, responsible for over 75% of all infections, 25% of UTI patients with some other strain of bacteria will not be helped.

“The drug was approved for the most common type of the infection in women, often caused by bacteria including E. coli.”

 

The good news is that this antibiotic appears to help ESBL E. Coli, the difficult-to-treat subset of E. Coli infections.  The E. Coli bacteria have evolved to protect themselves against antibiotics by producing enzymes called extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs).

“Blujepa is part of a new class of antibiotics called triazaacenaphthylenes, which work by targeting two key enzymes that E. coli bacteria need to copy itself and survive. ‘In simple terms, this new antibiotic works its magic by using a novel binding method to block a bacteria’s ability to replicate.’”

Fact #3: The New Drug Is Effective Only With Uncomplicated UTIs

An uncomplicated UTI is one in which you are dealing with a simple, occasional UTI in which bacteria have entered the bladder.   It will not help with chronic UTIs which represent 40% of all infections which are due to:

  1. Biofilms: these are slimy sacs which are protecting colonies of mutating bacteria in the bladder lining; antibiotics cannot penetrate these biofilms.
  2. Multiple strains of bacteria: most urine tests will not identify more than one strain, leaving some bacteria undiagnosed and untreated, causing recurrences.

“The drug, a pill called Blujepa from drugmaker GSK, was approved for women and girls 12 and up with uncomplicated UTIs.

Fact #4:  The New Antibiotic is Not Significantly More Effective Than What Is Available Today

Recent research shows that there are two oral antibiotics which have very high effectiveness rates against the E. Coli bacteria: Nitrofurantoin and Fosfomycin ( see chart below)

“In two phase 3 clinical trials of 3,000 adults and teens, Blujepa was shown to successfully treat 50% to 58% of patients’ infections when taken twice a day for five days, compared to 43% to 47% in a group that received the antibiotic nitrofurantoin.”

Fact #4: There Are Natural Products That Are Just As Effective At Clearing E. Coli Infections

If your test results show an E. Coli infection, there are several proven all-natural treatment alternatives to antibiotics, which are known to have significant side effects, including digestive issues and yeast infections.

D-Mannose, powder, extracted from cranberries and blueberries, has been scientifically proven to clear up E. Coli infections without the side effects of antibiotics.  Read the medical research here.

Other natural products are available to prevent recurring UTIs and eliminate biofilms causing chronic UTIs.

Read more here: https://goodbye-uti.com/pages/path-to-wellness-chronic-uti-sufferer