We are delighted to share that Dr Manica Balasegaram, GARDP’s Executive Director, has been named one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People in Health for his work in changing the health of the world by bringing new antibiotic treatments to market. This recognition reflects his leadership and unwavering commitment to the development of innovative new treatments and expanding access to them to tackle the escalating global antimicrobial resistance (AMR) crisis.  

As part of the TIME 100 Health 2026 list, Dr Balasegaram was selected for his work in advancing care, shaping policy and driving life-saving innovations. Featured under the Leaders category, TIME recognises his central role in the development of zoliflodacin, a new first-in-class treatment for uncomplicated urogenital gonorrhoea. Approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in December 2025, this is the first new treatment in decades to be developed solely for gonorrhoea – a disease that infects 82 million people each year and has been at risk of becoming untreatable because of drug resistance.  

“This recognition belongs to everyone at GARDP and to the extraordinary network of partners, donors, researchers, trial participants and country teams who made this public-private partnership possible,” said Dr Balasegaram. “I am especially grateful to Innoviva Specialty Therapeutics for their partnership and vision in developing zoliflodacin, and to the governments, clinical investigators and communities in the five countries that participated in this trial – Belgium, The Netherlands, South Africa, Thailand and the USA. Their commitment and collaboration are what drive progress against AMR and help ensure that new treatments reach the people who need them most.” 

GARDP is also developing a range of other new treatments to address serious bacterial infections. We remain committed to our not-for-profit model for developing and delivering sustainable solutions to drug-resistant infections, working closely with partners around the world to ensure equitable access to life-saving antibiotics.