BACKGROUND:Olorofim is an antifungal agent with a novel mechanism of action against Aspergillus spp., rare moulds and dimorphic fungi. Preclinical studies reported unidirectional antagonism between olorofim and mould-active azoles (e.g. azoles other than fluconazole) against Aspergillus fumigatus in which the azole reduces the antifungal effect of olorofim. METHODS:To assess the potential clinical impact of this preclinical finding, we compared outcomes of olorofim with and without concomitant azoles from a Phase 2b salvage study in patients with invasive fungal diseases with few or no treatment options. RESULTS:Analyses are limited by the study size but outcomes were similar for olorofim with and without an azole in combination (whether mould-active or not) at Days 42 (the primary study endpoint) and 84 for both Mycoses Study Group-European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (MSG-EORTC) responses and for all-cause mortality in patients with aspergillosis (77 not receiving an azole, 24 receiving an azole in combination), in patients with coccidioidomycosis (11 not receiving an azole, 30 receiving an azole in combination) and in patients with other fungal infections (50 not receiving an azole, 10 receiving an azole in combination). In addition, the rate of drug-induced liver injury was not increased in patients receiving combination with an azole. CONCLUSIONS:Although limited by small numbers of patients for individual fungi, this analysis did not demonstrate a pattern of reduced clinical efficacy or tolerability of olorofim when given in combination with either the mould-active azoles or with fluconazole.Trial registration number. NCT03583164.

Background and Objectives Aspergillus and Candida spp. are important causes of systemic fungal infections. Although various therapies are available, resistance to current antifungal treatments, particularly azoles, is increasing. Combinations of antifungals can be used to treat infections with resistant pathogens. In a recent in vitro study, antagonism was reported in a single A. fumigatus isolate between olorofim and voriconazole. Available clinical data are limited but do not reflect this phenomenon. The in vitro interactions of olorofim with current antifungal agents (voriconazole, posaconazole, isavuconazole, fluconazole, amphotericin B, terbinafine and caspofungin) were evaluated against various Aspergillus and three Candida species.Methods In vitro interactions were evaluated by the EUCAST microdilution broth technique modified for checkerboard assay.Results Olorofim demonstrated different interaction patterns when tested in combination with various classes of antifungal. Unidirectional antagonism was seen between olorofim and the mould-active azoles with the strongest effect seen in A. niger: azole MIC values were unaffected but olorofim MIC values increased, although remained within wild-type distributions. Olorofim antagonized amphotericin B activity in the single A. niger strain tested. There was indifference between olorofim and fluconazole, terbinafine and caspofungin for all isolates. Finally, olorofim showed indifference with fluconazole or voriconazole against three Candida species.Conclusions Mould-active azoles antagonize olorofim activity against Aspergillus spp. combination MICs remain within wild-type distributions for Aspergillus spp., other than for A. niger. In addition, olorofim does not affect the anti-Candida effect of fluconazole and could be co-dosed where necessary without loss of the effect of the azole against the yeast.

Olorofim, the first member of the novel class of antifungal drugs, the orotomides, shows promising anti-Aspergillus activity and is currently in phase III clinical development. Using high-throughput microscopy, we monitored olorofim's antifungal potential at sub-minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) levels with a focus on early-stage growth. Unlike voriconazole, olorofim showed significant growth inhibitory activities against three main pathogenic Aspergillus species, Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus flavus, and Aspergillus niger, at concentrations >100,000-fold below its MIC. IMPORTANCE:Among antifungal compounds in clinical development for systemic disease, the orotomide olorofim is one of only two that target a completely new mechanism of action. Olorofim is highly potent against pathogenic Aspergillus species including cryptic species that frequently show increased resistance to current agents. In this study, our primary focus was on evaluating in detail the inhibitory activity of voriconazole and olorofim against different pathogenic Aspergillus species employing high-throughput microscopy. Compared to standardized, less-sensitive visual assessment-based methods, microscopy-assisted growth monitoring allowed us to detect sub-MIC drug concentration ranges with significant inhibitory activity at early-stage growth. This revealed that olorofim exerts growth inhibition at concentrations that are several magnitudes below those of voriconazole.

BACKGROUND:New antifungal agents are required to mitigate against azole-resistant Aspergillus and drug-resistant non-Aspergillus moulds. The novel orotomide, olorofim (F2G, Manchester, UK), has potent fungicidal activity against Aspergillus including azole-resistant Aspergillus fumigatus, Lomentospora prolificans and Scedosporium spp. Development of olorofim-specific clinical breakpoints/epidemiological cut-off values requires reliable MIC data. OBJECTIVES:Determine the in vitro activity of olorofim compared with standard antifungals against mould pathogens at an Australian hospital. MATERIALS AND METHODS:Olorofim MICs were determined for 507 clinical mould isolates using the CLSI M38-A3 standard. MICs of amphotericin B, anidulafungin, posaconazole, voriconazole and isavuconazole were obtained using Sensititre™ YeastOne YO10 and AUSNMRCI panels (Thermo-Fisher Scientific). RESULTS:A. fumigatus sensu stricto was the commonest species (33.3%) followed by L. prolificans (18.3%), Scedosporium (11.4%) and Fusarium (6%) species. Olorofim modal MICs were ≤0.25 mg/L (MIC90 0.25 mg/L) for all Aspergillus except Aspergillus Section Usti (1 mg/L); MICs for nine azole-resistant/non-wild-type A. fumigatus ranged from 0.008 to 0.125 mg/L. The MIC90 of olorofim for L. prolificans was 0.5 mg/L, 0.25-0.5 mg/L for Scedosporium spp. and 8 mg/L for the F. solani complex but with modal MICs of 0.25 and 0.008 mg/L for F. oxysporum and F. proliferatum complexes, respectively. For Verruconis gallopava (n = 10), the olorofim MIC90 was 0.06 mg/L (voriconazole MIC90 2 mg/L, isavuconazole MICs of 4->8 mg/L). Olorofim had little activity against other dematiaceous moulds including Exophiala species. CONCLUSIONS:Olorofim was highly active against Aspergillus spp. including azole-resistant A. fumigatus, L. prolificans, Scedosporium spp. and some Fusarium species with the new finding of potent activity against V. gallopava.

Abstract Widespread use of azole antifungals in agriculture has driven a pandemic of resistance in the pathogenic fungus Aspergillus fumigatus . A novel clinical antifungal, olorofim, promises to alleviate this problem but as it nears approval, a new agrochemical fungicide, ipflufenoquin with the same mechanism of action, has been approved by the US EPA. We show that exposure of A. fumigatus to ipflufenoquin can select for strains that are resistant to olorofim, potentially undermining decades of effort in clinical antifungal drug development.

Widespread use of azole antifungals in agriculture has been linked to resistance in the pathogenic fungus Aspergillus fumigatus . We show that exposure of A. fumigatus to the agrochemical fungicide, ipflufenoquin, in vitro can select for strains that are resistant to olorofim, a first-in-class clinical antifungal with the same mechanism of action. Resistance is caused by non-synonymous mutations within the target of ipflufenoquin/olorofim activity, dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH), and these variants have no overt growth defects.

The epidemiology of invasive fungal infections (IFIs) is currently changing, driven by aggressive immunosuppressive therapy, leading to an expanded spectrum of patients at risk of IFIs. Aspergillosis is a leading cause of IFIs, which usually affects immunocompromised patients. There are a limited number of antifungal medications available for treating IFIs, and their effectiveness is often hindered by rising resistance rates and practical limitations. Consequently, new antifungals, especially those with novel mechanisms of action, are increasingly required. This study assessed the activity of four novel antifungal agents with different mechanisms of activity, namely, manogepix, rezafungin, ibrexafungerp, and olorofim, against 100 isolates of Aspergillus section Terrei, containing amphotericin-B (AmB)-wildtype/non-wildtype and azole-susceptible/-resistant strains, according to the European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST) method. In general, all tested agents showed potent and consistent activity against the tested isolates, exhibiting geometric mean (GM) and minimum effective concentration (MEC)/minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) ranges, respectively, as follows: manogepix (0.048 mg/L, 0.032-0.5 mg/L), rezafungin (0.020 mg/L, 0.016-0.5 mg/L), ibrexafungerp (0.071 mg/L, 0.032-2 mg/L), and olorofim (0.008 mg/L, 0.008-0.032 mg/L). In terms of MIC90/MEC90, olorofim had the lowest values (0.008 mg/L), followed by rezafungin (0.032 mg/L), manogepix (0.125 mg/L), and ibrexafungerp (0.25 mg/L). All the antifungals tested demonstrated promising in vitro activity against Aspergillus section Terrei, including A. terreus as well as azole-resistant and AmB-non-wildtype cryptic species.

Scedosporium spp. and Lomentospora prolificans are an emerging group of fungi refractory to current antifungal treatments. These species largely affect immunocompromised individuals but can also be lung colonizers in cystic fibrosis patients. Although Scedosporium apiospermum is thought to be the predominant species, the group has been expanded to a species complex. The distribution of species within the S. apiospermum species complex and other closely related species in the United States is largely unknown. Here, we used β-tubulin and ITS sequences to identify 37 Scedosporium isolates to the species level. These Scedosporium isolates as well as 13 L. prolificans isolates were tested against a panel of nine antifungal drugs, including the first in novel class orotimide, olorofim. IMPORTANCE Scedosporium and Lomentospora infections are notoriously hard to treat as these organisms can be resistant to numerous antifungals. The manuscript contributes to our knowledge of the activity of the new antifungal agent olorofim and comparator agents against Lomentospora and against Scedosporium isolates that have been molecularly identified to the species level. The efficacy of olorofim against all species of Scedosporium and Lomentospora was confirmed.

Olorofim is a new antifungal in clinical development which has a novel mechanism of action against dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH). DHODH form a ubiquitous family of enzymes in the de novo pyrimidine biosynthetic pathway and are split into class 1A, class 1B and class 2. Olorofim specifically targets the fungal class 2 DHODH present in a range of pathogenic moulds. The nature and number of DHODH present in many fungal species have not been addressed for large clades of this kingdom. Mucorales species do not respond to olorofim; previous work suggests they have only class 1A DHODH and so lack the class 2 target that olorofim inhibits. The dematiaceous moulds have mixed susceptibility to olorofim, yet previous analyses imply that they have class 2 DHODH. As this is at odds with their intermediate susceptibility to olorofim, we hypothesised that these pathogens may maintain a second class of DHODH, facilitating pyrimidine biosynthesis in the presence of olorofim. The aim of this study was to investigate the DHODH repertoire of clinically relevant species of Mucorales and dematiaceous moulds to further characterise these pathogens and understand variations in olorofim susceptibility. Using bioinformatic analysis, S. cerevisiae complementation and biochemical assays of recombinant protein, we provide the first evidence that two representative members of the Mucorales have only class 1A DHODH, substantiating a lack of olorofim susceptibility. In contrast, bioinformatic analyses initially suggested that seven dematiaceous species appeared to harbour both class 1A-like and class 2-like DHODH genes. However, further experimental investigation of the putative class 1A-like genes through yeast complementation and biochemical assays characterised them as dihydrouracil oxidases rather than DHODHs. These data demonstrate variation in dematiaceous mould olorofim susceptibility is not due to a secondary DHODH and builds on the growing picture of fungal dihydrouracil oxidases as an example of horizontal gene transfer.

Olorofim (F901318) is a new antifungal currently under clinical development that shows both in vitro and in vivo activity against a number of filamentous fungi including Aspergillus fumigatus . In this study we screened A. fumigatus isolates for intrinsic olorofim-resistant A. fumigatus and evaluated the ability of A. fumigatus to acquire an olorofim-resistant phenotype. No intrinsic resistance was found in 975 clinical A. fumigatus isolates. However, we found that isolates with increased olorofim MICs (> 8 mg/L) could be selected using a high number of conidia and olorofim exposure under laboratory conditions. Assessment of the frequency of acquired olorofim resistance development of A. fumigatus was shown to be higher than for voriconazole but lower than for itraconazole. Sequencing the PyrE gene of isogenic isolates with olorofim MICs of >8 mg/L identified various amino acid substitutions with a hotspot at locus G119. Olorofim was shown to have reduced affinity to mutated target protein dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH) and the effect of these mutations were proven by introducing the mutations directly in A. fumigatus . We then investigated whether G119 mutations were associated with a fitness cost in A. fumigatus. These experiments showed a small but significant reduction in growth rate for strains with a G119V substitution, while strains with a G119C substitution did not exhibit a reduction in growth rate. These in vitro findings were confirmed in an in vivo pathogenicity model. Importance Olorofim represents an important new treatment option for patients with difficult to treat invasive fungal infections, including triazole-resistant A. fumigatus infection. Our study provides insights into one resistance mechanism and the potential dynamics of olorofim resistance, which will help to prevent and manage resistance selection. Such insights are critical to antifungal stewardship and to safeguard its prolonged use in clinical practice.

Olorofim is a novel antifungal drug that belongs to the orotomide drug class which inhibits fungal dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH), thus halting pyrimidine biosynthesis and ultimately DNA synthesis, cell growth and division. It is being developed at a time when many invasive fungal infections exhibit antifungal resistance or have limited treatment options. The goal of this study was to evaluate the in vitro effectiveness of olorofim against a large collection of recently isolated, clinically relevant American mold isolates. In vitro antifungal activity was determined for 246 azole-susceptible Aspergillus fumigatus isolates, five A. fumigatus with TR34/L98H-mediated resistance, 19 Rhizopus species isolates, 21 Fusarium species isolates, and one isolate each of six other species of molds. Olorofim minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were compared to antifungal susceptibility testing profiles for amphotericin B, anidulafungin, caspofungin, isavuconazole, itraconazole, micafungin, posaconazole, and voriconazole. Olorofim MICs were significantly lower than those of the echinocandin and azole drug classes and amphotericin B. A. fumigatus wild type and resistant isolates shared the same MIC50 = 0.008 μg/mL. In non-Aspergillus susceptible isolates (MIC ≤ 2 μg/mL), the geometric mean (GM) MIC to olorofim was 0.54 μg/mL with a range of 0.015–2 μg/mL. Olorofim had no antifungal activity (MIC ≥ 2 μg/mL) against 10% of the collection (31 in 297), including some isolates from Rhizopus spp. and Fusarium spp. Olorofim showed promising activity against A. fumigatus and other molds regardless of acquired azole resistance.

Clinically relevant members of the Scedosporium / Pseudallescheria species complex and Lomentospora prolificans are generally resistant against currently available systemic antifungal agents in vitro , and infection due to these species is difficult to treat. We studied the in vivo efficacy of a new fungicidal agent, olorofim (formerly F901318), against scedosporiosis and lomentosporiosis in neutropenic animals.

The first characterized antifungal in the orotomide class is olorofim. It targets the de novo pyrimidine biosynthesis pathway by inhibiting dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH). The pyrimidines uracil, thymine and cytosine are the building blocks of DNA and RNA; thus, inhibition of their synthesis is likely to have multiple effects, including affecting cell cycle regulation and protein synthesis. Additionally, uridine-5 '-triphosphate (UTP) is required for the formation of uridine-diphosphate glucose (UDP-glucose), which is an important precursor for several cell wall components. In this study, the dynamic effects of olorofim treatment on the morphology and organization ofAspergillus fumigatushyphae were analyzed microscopically using confocal live-cell imaging. Treatment with olorofim led to increased chitin content in the cell wall, increased septation, enlargement of vacuoles and inhibition of mitosis. Furthermore, vesicle-like structures, which could not be stained or visualized with a range of membrane- or vacuole-selective dyes, were found in treated hyphae. A colocalization study of DHODH and MitoTracker Red FM confirmed for the first time thatA. fumigatusDHODH is localized in the mitochondria. Overall, olorofim treatment was found to significantly influence the dynamic structure and organization ofA. fumigatushyphae.

Background: Madurella mycetomatis is the main causative agent of eumycetoma, a chronic granulomatous infection of the subcutaneous tissue. Currently, the only antifungal agents with activity against M. mycetomatis are agents acting on ergosterol in the fungal cell membrane. Itraconazole is currently the drug of choice, but the duration of treatment is long and therapeutic failure is common. Therefore, there is an urgent need to identify more potent antifungal agents with activity against M. mycetomatis. One of the novel classes of antifungal agents are the orotomides and olorofim is the leading representative of this class. It inhibits fungal pyrimidine biosynthesis. To determine if olorofim has in vitro activity against M. mycetomatis, we carried out MIC determinations against 21 M. mycetomatis clinical isolates compared the results to those obtained for itraconazole. Methods and materials: Minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) were determined for Olorofim and Itraconazole against 21 M. mycetomatis clinical isolates from different geographical background. The filamentous nature of M. mycetomatis necessitates the need for homogenization by sonication to obtain a standardized inoculum for testing. MICs was performed using our CLSI-based in vitro susceptibility testing method with XTT reading at 450nm at the end after a 7-day incubation period at 37˚C. As a number of M. mycetomatis isolates produces pigments that influences colour intensity and the endpoint reading, an 80% reduction in viable fungal mass was determined instead of a 100%. Results: Olorofim was highly active against all tested M. mycetomatis isolates. MICs obtained for olorofim ranged from <0.004 μg/ml to 0.125 μg/ml and 0.06 μg/ml olorofim was needed to inhibit 90% of the isolates. Olorofim MICs were consistently one-dilution more potent than the MIC values for itraconazole. For itraconazole, MICs ranged from 0.008 μg/ml to 0.25 μg/ml and 0.125 μg/ml was needed to inhibit 90% of the isolates. Conclusion: Olorofim from the novel antifungal class of orotomides showed potent in vitro activity against all tested M. mycetomatis isolates and had MICs similar to or slightly lower than those for itraconazole. Further studies, including in vivo models are warranted to determine if olorofim would be a suitable alternative to itraconazole therapy.

Objectives: Eumycetoma is currently treated with a combination of itraconazole therapy and surgery, with Limited success. Recently, olorofim, the Lead candidate of the orotomides, a novel doss of antifungai agents, entered a Phase II trial for the treatment of invasive fungal infections. Here we determined the activity of olorofim against Madurella mycetomatis, the main causative agent of eumycetoma. Methods: Activity of olorofim against M. mycetomatis was determined by in silico comparison of the target gene, dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH), and in vitro susceptibility testing. We also investigated the in vitro interaction between olorofim and itraconazole against M. mycetomatis. Results: M. mycetomatis and Aspergillus fumigatus share six out of seven predicted binding residues in their DHODH DNA sequence, predicting susceptibility to olorofim. Olorofim demonstrated excellent potency against M. mycetomatis in vivo with MICs ranging from 0.004 to 0.125 mg/L and an MIC90 of 0.063 mg/L. Olorofim MICs were mostly one dilution step Lower than the itraconazole MICs. In vitro interaction studies demonstrated that olorofim and itraconazole work indifferently when combined. Conclusions: We demonstrated olorofim has potent in vitro activity against M. mycetomatis and should be further evaluated in vivo as a treatment option for this disease.

The emergence of azole resistance in Aspergillus fumigatus as well as an increasing frequency of multiresistant cryptic Aspergillus spp. necessitates exploration of new classes of antifungals. Olorofim (formerly F901318) is a new fungicidal agent that prevents the growth of ascomycetous mold species via inhibition of de novo pyrimidine biosynthesis, a mechanism of action distinct from that of currently available antifungal drugs. We studied the in vivo efficacy of olorofim intraperitoneal therapy (15 mg/kg of body weight every 8 h for 9 days) against infection with A. fumigatus, A. nidulans, and A. tanneri in both neutropenic CD-1 mice and mice with chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) (gp91(-/-) phox mice). In the neutropenic mouse model, 80% to 88% of treated mice survived for 10 days, and in the CGD group, 63% to 88% of treated mice survived for 10 days, depending on the infecting species, while less than 10% of the mice in the control groups survived for 10 days. In the olorofim-treated groups, galactomannan levels were significantly suppressed, with lower organ fungal DNA burdens being seen for all three Aspergillus spp. Histopathological slides revealed a limited number of inflammatory foci with or without detectable fungal elements in the kidneys of neutropenic CD-1 mice and in the lungs of CGD mice. Furthermore, the efficacy of olorofim was unrelated to the triazole MICs of the infecting Aspergillus spp. These results show olorofim to be a promising therapeutic agent for invasive aspergillosis.

Objectives: In vitro and in vivo activity of the dihydroorotate dehydrogenase inhibitor olorofim (formerly F901318) (F2G Limited, UK) against clinically relevant species of the Aspergillus section Terrei was evaluated. Methods: A total of 92 clinical Aspergillus section Terrei isolates [42 Aspergillus terreus sensu stricto and 50 cryptic species: Aspergillus alabamensis (n = 8), Aspergillus citrinoterreus (n = 27), Aspergillus floccosus (n = 1), Aspergillus hortai (n = 13) and Aspergillus neoafricanus (n = 1)] were evaluated. MICs were determined using the CLSI M38-A2 method. MICs of olorofim were compared with those of posaconazole, voriconazole, itraconazole and amphotericin B. The in vivo efficacy of olorofim was determined in an immunosuppressed murine model of disseminated aspergillosis. Results: Olorofim was highly active against all tested Aspergillus section Terrei isolates, exhibiting an MIC range of 0.002-0.063 mg/L. Slightly higher MICs were observed for A. terreus cryptic species. Olorofim MICs were lower than those observed for the azoles. Selected strains with elevated MICs of azoles were highly susceptible to olorofim. Olorofim administered by oral and intravenous routes produced survival rates of 90%-100% in A. terreus-infected mice. Conclusions: Olorofim showed potent and consistent in vitro activity against all A. terreus strains tested, including those with elevated MICs of other antifungal substances. Overall, growth inhibition by olorofim was superior to that of azoles. In vivo data showed that olorofim was highly efficacious in prolonging survival of mice with disseminated aspergillosis due to A. terreus sensu stricto.

Olorofim (formerly F901318) is an advanced analog of the orotomide class that inhibits fungal pyrimidine biosynthesis. We evaluated the in vitro and in vivo activities of olorofim against Coccidioides species. In vitro activity was assessed against 59 clinical Coccidioides isolates. Central nervous system infections were established in mice via intracranial inoculation with Coccidioides immitis arthroconidia. Oral therapy began 48 h postinoculation and consisted of vehicle control, olorofim daily doses of 20 mg/kg (6.67 mg/kg three times daily or 10 mg/kg twice daily) or 40 mg/kg (13.3 mg/kg three times daily or 20 mg/kg twice daily), or fluconazole (25 mg/kg twice daily). Treatment continued for 7 and 14 days in the fungal burden and survival arms, respectively. Fungal burdens were assessed by CFU counts in brains. Olorofim demonstrated potent in vitro activity (MIC range, ≤0.008 to 0.06 μg/ml). Survival was significantly enhanced in mice treated with olorofim. Reductions in brain tissue fungal burdens were also observed on day 9 in the olorofim-treated groups. Improvements in survival and reductions in fungal burdens also occurred with fluconazole. More frequent dosing of olorofim was associated with enhanced survival and greater reductions in fungal burdens. In the group treated with 13.3 mg/kg olorofim three times daily, fungal burdens remained low on day 30 (15 days after treatment was stopped), with undetectable levels in 7 of 10 mice. In contrast, fungal burdens rebounded in all other groups after therapy stopped. Olorofim was highly active in vitro and in vivo against Coccidioides These results demonstrate that olorofim may have a role in the treatment of coccidioidomycosis.