A recent article in The Economist highlights the accelerating global threat of drug-resistant fungal infections. While antimicrobial resistance is often associated with bacteria, fungi are now causing an estimated 7 million severe infections and over 2.5 million deaths annually—figures approaching those for resistant bacterial infections.
The limited availability of antifungal drug classes—just three main types—combined with increasing resistance, particularly from environmental exposure to agricultural fungicides, has created an urgent need for new therapies. Promising new antifungals such as olorofim, ibrexafungerp, and fosmanogepix are showing efficacy in early trials, but risks remain. Alarmingly, some new agricultural fungicides share mechanisms with these drugs, threatening their long-term usefulness.
Experts, including those from Manchester, stress the delicate balance between food security and the need to preserve human antifungals. The piece underscores the importance of investment in novel drug development, resistance monitoring, and international regulatory action—central concerns for GAFFI and the global health community.