What Basilea Pharmaceutica does

Basilea Pharmaceutica Ltd is a Swiss commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company founded in 2000 and headquartered in Allschwil, Switzerland, listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange under ticker BSLN. The company focuses on discovering, developing, and commercializing innovative drugs for patients with severe and life-threatening bacterial and fungal infections, primarily in hospital settings. Its commercial portfolio comprises two hospital brands: Cresemba (isavuconazole), an antifungal for invasive fungal infections marketed globally via a license partnership with Pfizer in more than 75 countries and generating CHF 111.6 million in royalty income in 2025, and Zevtera (ceftobiprole), an antibacterial directly launched in the US market in 2025.

The company's pipeline targets antimicrobial resistance through multiple novel mechanisms of action: fosmanogepix (Gwt1 inhibitor, Phase 3) and BAL2062 for invasive fungal infections, ceftibuten-ledaborbactam (beta-lactam/beta-lactamase inhibitor combination, Phase 3-ready with FDA QIDP and Fast Track designations, in-licensed from Venatorx) for complicated urinary tract infections, and BAL2420 (LptA inhibitor targeting Gram-negative bacteria, Phase 1 initiated March 2026). Basilea's revenue model is hybrid: licensing royalties and milestone payments from Pfizer on Cresemba global sales, plus direct US sales of Zevtera and non-dilutive funding from BARDA (up to USD 268 million for antifungals, up to USD 147 million for the cUTI program) and CARB-X for pipeline advancement.

In FY2025, Basilea reported revenue of CHF 232.4 million (+11.4% YoY), operating profit of CHF 51.5 million (22% EBIT margin), and a net cash position of CHF 86.9 million (tripled YoY). R&D investment rose 37.4% to CHF 106 million. The company has guided FY2026 revenue to approximately CHF 255-257 million (~10% growth) with approximately 20% EBIT growth, targeting two new product launches by 2030. Strategic partnerships include Pfizer (commercial), BARDA and CARB-X (non-dilutive funding), INCATE (industry consortium), Phare Bio (AI-driven discovery), and Prokaryotics (antifungal co-development).

Name

Basilea Pharmaceutica

Legal name

Basilea Pharmaceutica Ltd

Website

https://basilea.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Basilea Pharmaceutica is a Swiss commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company developing and commercializing anti-infective drugs for severe bacterial and fungal infections, serving hospital-based infectious disease specialists globally through marketed brands Cresemba and Zevtera and a pipeline targeting antimicrobial resistance.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Anti-Infective Pharmaceuticals

NAICS

Pharmaceutical Preparation Manufacturing (325412)

SIC

Pharmaceutical Preparations (2834)

akta.pro primary industry

Infectious Disease & Antimicrobials Pharmaceuticals (HLAIAAAG)

Keywords

• Anti-infective pharmaceuticals
• Antifungal drugs
• Antibacterial drugs
• Hospital brand pharmaceuticals
• Antimicrobial resistance

Headquarters

HQ city

Basel

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Product Royalties (Cresemba): Basilea earns royalty income from global sales of Cresemba (isavuconazole), its antifungal drug marketed in over 75 countries. Cresemba royalties were CHF 111.6 million in 2025, representing 15% growth year-over-year, driven by USD 693 million in in-market sales globally. Cresemba achieved its ten-year market anniversary in 2025.
2. Milestone Payments: Basilea receives milestone payments from license partners upon achievement of sales thresholds and development milestones. A USD 30 million milestone was triggered in November 2025 from Pfizer for strong Cresemba sales performance in Europe exceeding sales thresholds.
3. Product Sales (Zevtera): Basilea launched Zevtera in the US market (mid-2025) as an antibacterial product. Combined Cresemba and Zevtera-related revenue guidance for 2026 is approximately CHF 200 million.
4. Non-dilutive Government Funding: Basilea receives non-dilutive funding from BARDA (up to USD 268 million over 12 years for antifungals, up to USD 147 million for cUTI antibiotic program) and CARB-X (multiple tranches including USD 6 million additional funding in 2026 for BAL2420 Phase 1). Funding supports clinical development without diluting equity.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Basilea Pharmaceutica is a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company that develops and commercializes innovative drugs to address severe bacterial and fungal infections. It has two marketed hospital brands — Cresemba (isavuconazole) for invasive fungal infections and Zevtera (ceftobiprole) for bacterial infections — and a clinical pipeline of novel antifungals and antibiotics targeting antimicrobial resistance.

Product overview

Basilea Pharmaceutica is a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company with two marketed hospital brands: Cresemba (antifungal for invasive fungal infections) and Zevtera (antibiotic for bacterial infections). The portfolio is supported by a pipeline of anti-infective candidates in clinical development including antifungals fosmanogepix and BAL2062, and antibiotics ceftibuten-ledaborbactam (oral, Phase 3-ready) and BAL2420 (LptA inhibitor, Phase 1). The company operates a focused anti-infectives strategy combining commercialized products generating royalty revenue with advancing novel pipeline candidates through clinical development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Cresemba: Antifungal drug (isavuconazole) for the treatment of invasive fungal infections. Marketed in over 75 countries globally with USD 693 million in-market sales and 27% year-over-year growth as of 2025.
• Zevtera

Products and services

• Cresemba Antifungal drug (isavuconazole) for the treatment of invasive fungal infections. Commercialized in over 75 countries with strong royalty income contribution; global in-market sales of USD 693 million in 2025 with 27% year-over-year growth.
• Zevtera Intravenous antibiotic (ceftobiprole) for the treatment of bacterial infections. Successfully launched in the US market in 2025, representing Basilea's first company-initiated commercial launch.
• Fosmanogepix Novel antifungal candidate in Phase 3 clinical development for invasive fungal infections, primarily affecting immunocompromised patients. Targets Candida, Aspergillus and rare molds. Supported by BARDA funding.
• BAL2062 Antifungal drug candidate in clinical development for invasive fungal infections, supported by BARDA under the multi-year OTA.
• Ceftibuten-Ledaborbactam (Etzadroxil) Novel oral antibiotic (beta-lactam/beta-lactamase inhibitor combination) for treating complicated urinary tract infections (cUTIs). In-licensed from Venatorx Pharmaceuticals, Phase 3-ready with FDA Qualified Infectious Disease Product (QIDP) and Fast Track designations.
• BAL2420 (LptA Inhibitor) Novel antibiotic targeting LptA (lipopolysaccharide transport protein A), part of the lipopolysaccharide transport bridge essential in Gram-negative bacteria. Has shown potent and rapid bactericidal activity against Enterobacteriaceae including E. coli and K. pneumoniae, including strains resistant to beta-lactams and colistin. First-in-human Phase 1 study started March 2026.

Quantifiable outcome

• Cresemba generated USD 693 million in in-market sales with 27% year-over-year growth in 2025
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• INCATE (Incubator for Antibacterial Therapies in Europe)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 January 2026Basilea joined INCATE as an industry partner, one of four alongside Roche, Shionogi, and MSD. This marks INCATE's first expansion into antifungals. The partnership leverages Basilea's preclinical, clinical, and commercial expertise to transform early-stage antibacterial and antifungal concepts into assets through industry partnerships.
• Prokaryotics Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 January 2026Collaboration to jointly develop a first-in-class broad-spectrum antifungal for severe invasive infections caused by Candida, Aspergillus, and rare molds. Basilea makes an undisclosed upfront payment and near-term milestones to Prokaryotics, with potential development, regulatory, and commercial milestone payments up to USD 48.5 million plus tiered royalties. Basilea assumes responsibility for clinical development and global commercialization under an exclusive global license.
• Phare Bio Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 December 2025Partnership to develop a novel antibiotic using AI-driven molecule design. Combines Basilea's anti-infectives drug development expertise with Phare Bio's AI capabilities for antimicrobial resistance. Phare Bio eligible for success-based payments.
• Pfizer Inc.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPfizer is the global license partner for Cresemba (isavuconazole), Basilea's antifungal drug. Pfizer markets Cresemba in over 75 countries. Strong sales performance in Europe triggered a USD 30 million milestone payment to Basilea in November 2025, with global Cresemba sales of USD 652 million for the 12 months ending June 2025.
• Venatorx PharmaceuticalscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBasilea in-licensed the Phase 3-ready antibiotic ceftibuten-ledaborbactam from Venatorx Pharmaceuticals. This in-licensing added a late-stage oral antibiotic candidate targeting complicated urinary tract infections, subsequently supported by BARDA funding of up to USD 147 million.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Pfizer Inc. Pfizer is Basilea's global license partner for Cresemba and the global leader in anti-infectives (including its own antifungal and antibacterial portfolios). Comparable as both a commercial channel for Cresemba and as a broad incumbent whose anti-infective franchise overlaps with Basilea's hospital focus.
• Melinta Therapeutics: Melinta is a commercial-stage anti-infectives company with a hospital antibiotic portfolio (Baxdela, Vabomere, Orbactiv, Minocin). Comparable as a broader anti-infectives specialty player addressing similar hospital bacterial infection indications as Basilea's Zevtera and ceftibuten-ledaborbactam.

Direct peers

• F2G (now part of Shionogi): F2G is a direct antifungal peer developing olorofim, a novel mechanism antifungal for invasive fungal infections including resistant Aspergillus. Highly comparable niche competitor pursuing the same immunocompromised-patient hospital antifungal market that Basilea's Cresemba and fosmanogepix target.
• Scynexis: Scynexis developed and commercialized ibrexafungerp (Brexafemme), a novel glucan synthase inhibitor antifungal. Comparable as a small-cap antifungal innovator focused on invasive fungal infections, with a similar commercial-stage + pipeline profile to Basilea's antifungal franchise.
• Iterum Therapeutics: Iterum is developing oral sulopenem for complicated urinary tract infections, directly comparable to Basilea's ceftibuten-ledaborbactam. Both are late-stage oral antibiotics targeting drug-resistant cUTIs, a relatively narrow competitive set with similar FDA regulatory pathways.
• Venatorx Pharmaceuticals: Venatorx originated ceftibuten-ledaborbactam, which Basilea in-licensed. As a private anti-infectives developer focused on beta-lactamase inhibitor combinations and Gram-negative resistance, Venatorx is a direct comparable in the hospital antibacterial space.

Emerging players

• Cidara Therapeutics: Cidara is developing rezafungin, a next-generation echinocandin antifungal for invasive candidiasis, overlapping with Basilea's Cresemba and fosmanogepix in hospital antifungal treatment of serious fungal infections.
• Entasis Therapeutics (Innoviva): Entasis, a subsidiary of Innoviva, developed Xacduro for Acinetobacter infections and operates as a focused anti-infectives developer with novel-mechanism antibiotics. Comparable as a niche anti-infectives specialist advancing Gram-negative therapies similar to Basilea's BAL2420 and fosmanogepix programs.
• Nabriva Therapeutics: Nabriva developed lefamulin (Xenleta), a novel pleuromutilin antibiotic for community-acquired bacterial pneumonia. Comparable as a small-cap anti-infectives company with a marketed hospital antibiotic and a similar commercial-stage + specialty focus.

Others

• Tetraphase Biosciences: Tetraphase developed eravacycline (Xerava), a novel tetracycline antibiotic for complicated intra-abdominal infections, and was acquired by La Jolla Pharmaceutical. Comparable as a historical reference point for small-cap novel antibiotic developers targeting serious hospital infections, though it no longer operates as an independent entity.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/basilea-pharmaceutica-ltd

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds12 records

Investors4 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Basilea Pharmaceutica