Basilea and INCATE Forge Alliance to Combat a Silent Fungal Pandemic

ALLSCHWIL, SWITZERLAND – January 13, 2026 – In a significant move to address a growing and often-overlooked global health crisis, Swiss biopharmaceutical firm Basilea Pharmaceutica has joined forces with INCATE, a European incubator for anti-infective therapies. The partnership, announced today, aims to accelerate the development of new treatments for invasive fungal infections, a threat responsible for millions of deaths worldwide each year.

This collaboration marks a pivotal expansion for INCATE (INCubator for Antibacterial Therapies in Europe), which will now include antifungals within its scope for the first time. By leveraging Basilea's deep expertise in the field, the initiative seeks to bridge the critical gap between early academic research and the development of life-saving medicines, bolstering the pipeline against an increasingly resistant and deadly class of pathogens.

A Growing and Underestimated Global Threat

While bacterial resistance often captures headlines, invasive fungal infections (IFIs) represent a silent pandemic. According to recent global health estimates, IFIs affect over 6.5 million people and are directly responsible for approximately 2.5 million of the 3.8 million deaths associated with them annually. These mortality figures surpass those of many well-known infectious diseases and highlight a severe public health challenge.

These infections pose the greatest risk to the world's most vulnerable populations: patients with compromised immune systems, such as those undergoing cancer treatment, organ transplant recipients, individuals with HIV/AIDS, and critically ill patients in intensive care units. The rising number of immunocompromised individuals globally has led to a corresponding increase in the incidence of these dangerous infections.

In 2022, the World Health Organization (WHO) acknowledged the severity of the issue by publishing its first-ever Fungal Priority Pathogens List, categorizing 19 fungal species to guide research and development. The list includes notorious pathogens like Aspergillus fumigatus, which causes severe lung infections with mortality rates exceeding 85% in some patient groups, and Candida auris, a multidrug-resistant yeast that can cause deadly bloodstream infections in healthcare settings.

The development of new antifungal treatments has been notoriously difficult. With only four major classes of antifungal drugs available, the rise of resistance is a grave concern. The biological similarity between fungal and human cells makes it challenging to design drugs that are potent against the pathogen without being toxic to the patient. This scientific hurdle, combined with waning commercial interest, has resulted in a dangerously thin pipeline of new therapies.

Forging a Collaborative Frontline in Basel

The Basilea-INCATE partnership is designed to directly confront these challenges. Basilea, a commercial-stage company with a proven track record in anti-infectives, will serve as an industry partner, lending its preclinical, clinical, and commercial expertise to the incubator. INCATE, a not-for-profit public-private partnership, connects academic researchers with industry veterans, entrepreneurs, and investors to nurture early-stage projects.

"Invasive fungal infections are a serious and growing health challenge, particularly for vulnerable patient populations, which continue to increase in number," said Dr. Laurenz Kellenberger, Chief Scientific Officer of Basilea. "Through this partnership with INCATE, we aim to share our expertise in anti-infective development and help advance promising early-stage antifungal approaches into therapies that deliver meaningful clinical impact.”

The collaboration reinforces the unique position of Basel, Switzerland, as a global nexus for life sciences innovation. INCATE's academic founders include the University of Basel and Germany's Center for Infection Research (DZIF), while its industry partners include pharmaceutical giants like Roche, Shionogi, and MSD. This ecosystem creates a powerful engine for translating scientific discovery into tangible medical solutions.

“This partnership further solidifies Basel’s unique position as a global hub for innovation in infectious disease therapies, where scientific excellence, industry leadership, and a spirit of collaboration converge in a thriving ecosystem," stated Prof. Dr. Primo Schär, a member of the INCATE board and Vice President for Research at the University of Basel. "Basilea’s deep expertise in antibacterial and antifungal development will be instrumental in accelerating the discovery and advancement of groundbreaking therapeutic solutions.”

Basilea's Strategic Push in a High-Stakes Market

For Basilea, this partnership is a strategic move to build upon its established leadership in the anti-infectives market. The company already markets two successful hospital brands: the antibacterial Zevtera and the antifungal Cresemba (isavuconazole). Cresemba, used to treat invasive aspergillosis and mucormycosis, is a significant revenue driver, generating CHF 91.8 million in sales in 2023 and contributing to the company's strong financial performance.

By joining INCATE, Basilea is investing in its future pipeline, looking beyond its current portfolio to identify and cultivate the next generation of antifungal therapies. Rather than relying solely on in-house discovery, the company is tapping into a broader network of academic innovation. This strategy allows Basilea to access novel scientific concepts at an early stage, potentially de-risking development and filling a critical need in its long-term R&D portfolio.

The move signals a proactive approach to maintaining a competitive edge in a high-stakes therapeutic area where innovation is desperately needed. The goal is to transform promising preclinical concepts—those that might otherwise languish in labs due to lack of funding or expertise—into viable assets that can be advanced into clinical development and eventually reach patients.

Overcoming the Hurdles of Antifungal Innovation

The path from a laboratory concept to an approved drug is fraught with challenges, particularly in the antifungal space. The projects Basilea and INCATE will support must contend with a complex scientific and commercial landscape. The field is actively exploring novel mechanisms of action to circumvent existing resistance pathways.

Among the innovative approaches being pursued across the industry are new drug classes, such as the orotomides, which inhibit a key enzyme in fungal pyrimidine synthesis, and next-generation glucan synthase inhibitors that target the fungal cell wall differently than existing medicines. Researchers are also investigating ways to target fungal virulence factors, aiming to disarm the pathogen rather than kill it directly, which could reduce the selective pressure that drives resistance.

By providing crucial funding, mentorship, and access to industry-grade development expertise, the Basilea-INCATE alliance aims to lower the activation energy required to advance these novel ideas. This support is vital for helping early-stage projects navigate the so-called “valley of death” in drug development, where many promising scientific discoveries fail due to insufficient resources. The success of this partnership could ultimately strengthen the global arsenal against deadly fungal pathogens and provide new hope for the millions of patients at risk.