Equity Research Biosergen: Candidozyma auris on the rise in Europe

Candidozyma auris (previously called Candida Auris) is on the rise in Europe

On September 11, a Swedish newspaper published a report that a deadly fungus is spreading in Europe. The fungus in question, Candida Auris, was the topic of an EU report that the article is referring to. Released by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), the report highlights that case numbers are rising in Europe. The fungus usually spreads within hospitals and is able to persist on the surfaces of tools as well as rooms. It is mentioned that, between 2013 and 2023, EU/EEA countries saw over 4,000 cases, with a jump to 1,346 cases in just 18 countries and in 2023 alone. The countries with the highest number of cases are Spain, Greece, Italy, Romania and Germany. To cite the report: “Candidozyma auris is rapidly spreading across European healthcare systems, causing severe infections and showing resistance to antifungal treatments.” Furthermore, as mentioned by Doctor Johanna Rhodes, pesticides used in agriculture are one of the main culprits when it comes to fungi developing resistance.

Rising rates in general but differences between countries

The article mentions that only five cases were reported in Sweden between 2020 and 2023, while 11 cases have already been reported in 2024 and 2025. As such, Sweden is one of the countries faring better compared to the rest of Europe.

As pointed out in the report, the reported cases only reflect the tip of the iceberg, as diagnostics and categorization of the fungi are often unavailable or not conducted. In other words, the real rate of infection for the fungus is probably significantly higher than what is observed in the report.

The article spreads awareness about the problem, and the report from the ECDC makes it clear that new drugs are needed to combat the rising threat of invasive fungal diseases. With mortality rates for Candidozyma auris ranging from 29 to 62%, there is a clear unmet need for these patients. Drugs like BSG005 are more relevant than ever, thanks to their broad spectrum and fungicidal effect.

The article can be found here (Swedish), while the report can be read and downloaded from here.

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