Allschwil, 16 April 2025 Basilea Pharmaceutica AG, a biopharmaceutical company based in Allschwil, Switzerland (SIX: BSLN), has announced a significant advancement in the field of antifungal treatments. At the recent ESCMID Global 2025 conference held in Vienna from April 11 to April 15, 2025, the company presented groundbreaking data regarding its investigational antifungal agent, Fosmanogepix. This annual conference is organized by the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases and serves as a prominent platform for sharing the latest developments in clinical microbiology and infectious diseases.

During the conference, Dr. Marc Engelhardt, Chief Medical Officer at Basilea, expressed the pressing need for novel antifungal medications, stating, "Invasive fungal infections are an increasing global health concern, and new antifungal therapies are urgently required." He elaborated that Fosmanogepix has been administered to over 250 patients suffering from severe, hard-to-treat invasive fungal infections through an expanded access program. The data shared at the ESCMID conference highlighted the potential of Fosmanogepix as a life-saving treatment option for patients with critical fungal infections, specifically citing results from a large cohort of individuals diagnosed with invasive fusariosis and mucormycosis.

Basilea is excited about the initiation of its second Phase 3 study of Fosmanogepix, which will address a broad range of mold infections, including aspergillosis, fusariosis, and mucormycosis. This research is pivotal as it aims to expand the available treatment options for these serious fungal diseases, which often carry high mortality rates.

The expanded access program, registered under the identifier NCT06433128, has allowed over 250 patients from 11 different countries to receive Fosmanogepix. These patients typically presented with severe or life-threatening invasive fungal infections that worsened under standard antifungal treatments, experienced treatment-limiting toxicities, or were infected with resistant strains of fungi. As reported in the ESCMID presentations, treatment with Fosmanogepix yielded response rates of 70% or higher among patients suffering from invasive fusariosis or mucormycosis, with the treatment being well tolerated over extended periods.

Additional presentations during the conference also discussed Fosmanogepix's activity against a variety of yeast and mold species collected as part of a global surveillance program, further underscoring its potential as a broad-spectrum antifungal agent.

Notable Presentations at ESCMID Global 2025

  • IPT13: Fosmanogepix a novel clinical phase 3 stage antifungal agent M. Engelhardt
  • O0419: Fosmanogepix expanded access in patients with fusarium infections S. Dadwal et al.
  • P4164: Fosmanogepix expanded access case series in patients with mucormycosis A. Puing et al.
  • E0237: Activity of manogepix against a worldwide collection of mold isolates from 2023 M. Winkler et al.
  • P2891: Activity of manogepix against a worldwide collection of yeast isolates from 2023 M. Winkler et al.

Isavuconazole (Cresemba) and Ceftobiprol (Zevtera) Data Presented

In addition to Fosmanogepix, data on Isavuconazole (Cresemba) and the antibiotic Ceftobiprol (Zevtera) were also highlighted during the conference. Cresemba is an antifungal agent approved for use in patients aged one year and older for the treatment of invasive aspergillosis and mucormycosis where treatment with Amphotericin B is not suitable. Meanwhile, Ceftobiprol is a broad-spectrum antibiotic effective against a variety of gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).

A Brief Overview of the Drugs

Fosmanogepix is a novel broad-spectrum antifungal agent currently in clinical development. It demonstrates effectiveness against common strains of Candida and Aspergillus, including multidrug-resistant strains such as Candida auris and Candida glabrata, as well as rare, difficult-to-treat molds like Fusarium spp. and Scedosporium spp.. The drug is undergoing critical Phase 3 trials targeting patients with candidemia and/or invasive candidiasis.

Cresemba (Isavuconazole) is recognized for its efficacy in treating invasive fungal infections, approved in multiple regions, including the EU and the USA. Zevtera (Ceftobiprol) is an antibiotic that is essential in treating gram-positive and gram-negative bacterial infections, now available in various countries.

Basilea Pharmaceutica AG was founded in 2000 and is focused on developing innovative medications aimed at combating severe infections caused by bacteria and fungi. The company is publicly traded on the Swiss Stock Exchange (SIX: BSLN). For more information, please visit their website at