In recent decades, medical advances have enabled us to treat infections that were once lethal with relative ease. However, this progress is now at risk. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has become one of the greatest threats to global health in the 21st century. And the figures speak for themselves.
A SILENT PROBLEM
According to the most comprehensive study to date, published in The Lancet in 2022, more than 4.5 million deaths worldwide were associated with antimicrobial-resistant infections in 2019 alone. Of these, 1.27 million were directly caused by resistant bacteria. And yes, this number already exceeds the death toll from diseases such as HIV/AIDS or malaria—and worse: it keeps growing.
In fact, current projections warn that, if drastic action is not taken, resistant bacterial infections could cause up to 10 million deaths annually by 2050—surpassing even cancer, which today is responsible for around 8.2 million deaths per year. The COVID-19 pandemic has only worsened this scenario. In the first year alone, over 29,400 people died in the United States due to resistant infections acquired in hospital settings. This is a deeply concerning trend, especially in contexts of healthcare overload, where last-resort treatments are losing effectiveness against so-called “superbugs.”
A CRISIS?
But perhaps this doesn’t surprise you: AMR is not a new phenomenon. However, its acceleration has been driven by the misuse and overuse of antibiotics in human medicine, veterinary care, and agriculture. In addition, the development of new antibiotics has stalled: for every antibacterial drug in development, there are more than 100 oncology drugs. This imbalance reflects the lack of economic incentives to research in a high-risk, low-profit field in the short term.
In light of this situation, at Hifas Biologics we firmly believe that mushroom-based biotechnology can offer new solutions. Fungi—a millennia-old source of bioactive compounds—have played a leading role in medicine since Alexander Fleming’s discovery of penicillin.
Thanks to decades of research, we now know that many fungi possess antimicrobial, antifungal, and antiviral properties that remain unexplored. In our laboratories, we work with selected strains and natural compounds to develop effective and sustainable therapies to combat resistant infections that have become a major challenge today.
Our approach is rooted in respect for biodiversity and the potential of nature to provide solutions that synthetic chemistry alone has yet to achieve.
TIME TO ACT
Time is running out. If real solutions are not implemented, AMR could reverse decades of progress in public health, putting at risk everyday medical procedures such as surgeries, transplants, and chemotherapy.
At Hifas Biologics, we not only conduct research—we also make an urgent call for collaboration: among governments, healthcare institutions, research centers, and society as a whole. Only together can we stop this silent threat.
Antimicrobial resistance is a challenge—but also an opportunity to innovate. And we are committed to leading that change, hand in hand with fungal biotechnology.