EUCAST olorofim MICs for 3,550 Danish mold and dermatophyte isolates from 2020 to 2023

Joseph Meletiadis1,2, Karin Meinike Jørgensen1, Karen Marie Thyssen Astvad1

  • 1Unit of Mycology, Statens Serum Institut, Copenhagen, Denmark.

Insights

The antifungal drug olorofim shows potent in vitro activity against most molds, with stable susceptibility observed over several years. Monitoring is crucial due to potential resistance development in mold infections.

Area of Science:

  • Mycology
  • Antimicrobial Resistance
  • Clinical Microbiology

Background:

  • Dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH) inhibitors, like olorofim, are crucial antifungal agents.
  • Emerging reports of in vitro resistance necessitate ongoing surveillance of antifungal drug activity.
  • Understanding the impact of laboratory methods on Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) determination is vital for accurate susceptibility testing.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the in vitro activity of olorofim against a large, contemporary collection of mold isolates.
  • To investigate the influence of different microdilution plate preparation methods on olorofim MIC values.
  • To monitor the stability of olorofim susceptibility over time and explore potential resistance mechanisms.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of 3,550 mold isolates collected between 2020-2023, identified using MALDI-TOF MS and sequencing.
  • Determination of MICs for olorofim and other antifungal agents (amphotericin B, azoles, terbinafine) following EUCAST protocols.
  • Comparison of two dilution schemes: serial dilutions in medium versus ISO standard predilutions in DMSO.

Main Results:

  • Olorofim demonstrated potent in vitro activity (modal MICs 0.03-0.5 mg/L) against most tested molds, including Aspergillus, Fusarium, and dermatophytes.
  • Serial dilutions yielded slightly higher MICs (1-2 dilutions) compared to ISO standard dilutions for olorofim, voriconazole, and isavuconazole.
  • No significant changes in olorofim susceptibility were observed over the study period, and common resistance mutations were not implicated.

Conclusions:

  • Olorofim maintains broad and potent in vitro activity against a wide range of molds.
  • Laboratory dilution methods can influence reported MIC values, requiring standardization for comparability.
  • Continuous monitoring of antifungal susceptibility is essential to detect and manage potential resistance to agents like olorofim.