WALTHAM, Mass. — Innoviva Specialty Therapeutics, a subsidiary of Innoviva Inc., has received an 80 percent performance rating in the 2026 Antimicrobial Resistance Benchmark Report published by the Access to Medicine Foundation, placing the company among the top performers in the small- and medium-sized enterprise category.
The benchmark evaluates pharmaceutical companies on their efforts to address antimicrobial resistance and improve global access to effective treatments. Innoviva Specialty Therapeutics’ score represents the highest rating within the SME category this year, matched by only one other company.
“We are honored to be recognized in this important global assessment of the antibiotic treatment landscape, particularly at a time when there is a growing need for new therapies as antibiotic resistance continues to rise across many regions, challenging our ability to treat life-threatening infections effectively,” said David Altarac, M.D., Chief Medical Officer of Innoviva Specialty Therapeutics. “Addressing this urgent public health crisis is central to our mission, and we remain committed to developing innovative therapies that target high-priority and difficult-to-treat pathogens.”
The report highlights the company’s collaboration with the Global Antibiotics Research and Development Partnership (GARDP) to develop NUZOLVENCE (zoliflodacin) for oral suspension, a recently approved treatment for uncomplicated urogenital gonorrhea in adults and adolescents. The therapy is a single-dose oral antibiotic designed to treat susceptible strains of Neisseria gonorrhoeae, including those resistant to cephalosporins.
According to the report, NUZOLVENCE meets three of four innovation criteria established by the World Health Organization and was cited as an example of best practice in antimicrobial development. The evaluation also recognized the company’s efforts to integrate access and stewardship planning into its research and development strategy.
Innoviva was assessed in the SME category under the report’s research and development technical area, which measures the strength and innovation of a company’s pipeline. The evaluation considers alignment with World Health Organization priorities, clinical value, and whether late-stage development programs include comprehensive plans to ensure responsible use and global access.
The 2026 Antimicrobial Resistance Benchmark report will be formally presented at a launch event in London hosted by the Access to Medicine Foundation and the Fleming Initiative. The event will bring together global health leaders to discuss the growing threat of drug-resistant infections and strategies to accelerate industry and government responses.
Since its formation in 2023, Innoviva Specialty Therapeutics has focused on developing hospital-based treatments targeting urgent and difficult-to-treat infections. The company’s portfolio includes a vasopressor therapy for septic and distributive shock, as well as four U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved antimicrobial agents, including NUZOLVENCE (zoliflodacin) for oral suspension.
NUZOLVENCE is a first-in-class spiropyrimidinetrione bacterial type II topoisomerase inhibitor approved for the treatment of uncomplicated urogenital gonorrhea caused by Neisseria gonorrhoeae in adults and pediatric patients aged 12 and older who weigh at least 35 kilograms. The drug’s mechanism of action differs from currently available antibiotics and has demonstrated activity against drug-resistant strains of the bacteria.
