The race to beat deadly, drug-resistant fungal diseases

The race to beat deadly, drug-resistant fungal diseases Professors Elaine Bignell and Neil A.R. Gow address the growing threat of fungal infections, highlighting the sharp rise in drug-resistant cases, and the required efforts to better understand and mitigate fAMR. Fungi are agents of mass crop destruction, but also cause around 2.5 million human deaths annually. (1) The vulnerable population is rapidly growing, driven by cancer treatment, chronic respiratory disease, emerging new pathogens and increasing disease caused by fungi resistant to the few available classes of antifungal drugs. In December 2025, the UK Chief Medical Officer’s report highlighted the fungal threat, estimating nearly 200,000 life-threatening fungal cases per year.