Andreessen Horowitz-backed clinical laboratory Shield Diagnostics revealed on Wednesday the availability of the rapid molecular test Target-NG for antibiotic susceptibility in Neisseria gonorrhoeae.

A common sexually transmitted infection, gonorrhea has quickly become resistant to most major classes of antibiotics and resistance has now been reported in the final class of antibiotics we have left, requiring those patients to be hospitalised and treated with broad spectrum antibiotics in order to be cured.

Target-NG can determine if a given gonorrhea infection is susceptible to ciprofloxacin with the same turnaround time as regular gonorrhea screening tests, said Fred Turner, the company's CEO. This is enabling prescription of a single-dose pill (ciprofloxacin) as an effective treatment for gonorrhea.

The company added the Target-NG test is available from urine, rectal & pharyngeal samples, ensuring that complete care is provided for higher risk groups.

To slow the rate of antibiotic resistance, the last line of defence must only be used when strictly necessary. Such an approach is being taken by the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV, who announced revised treatment guidelines to recommend treating with ciprofloxacin if susceptibility results are available prior to treatment.