Despite their advantages to human health in the treatment of disease penicillin's can cause an allergic reaction in some individuals. These problems are being addressed by another group of antibiotics cephalosporins, a product of the fungus C. acremonium. The cephalosporins are close cousins of the penicillin's. It has an additional carbon which allows additional substitutions. They have been associated with hypothrombinaemia and bleeding.
Cephalosporins have an advantage over penicillin's as they are stable to b lactamases.
There are other fungal products which also have a therapeutic effect. The L isomers are active in inducing uterine contractions, controlling bleeding and alleviate localised vascular disorders. Genetic engineering of fungi has also reaped benefits for human health. S. cerevisiae has been used to produce pharmaceuticals. The process occurs by the introduction of foreign, heterologous, genes.