Nivolumab induces long-term remission in a patient with fusariosis

Infections by Fusarium spp. affect mostly severely immunocompromised patients causing significant morbidity. Mortality is generally reported to be above 40% even if treated adequately [1]. Novel treatment strategies are, therefore, urgently needed [2]. The fact that particularly immunocompromised patients are affected suggests that strengthening host immunity may improve outcomes. This is supported by in vitro and in vivo animal studies. To date, two patients with mucormycosis have been treated successfully with the immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) nivolumab – in 2017, one surgical patient without comorbidities and in 2019, one patient with acute myeloid leukaemia after allogeneic stem cell transplantation in our department [3,4].