TY - JOUR
T1 - New agents for the treatment of fungal infections
T2 - Clinical efficacy and gaps in coverage
AU - Spaitakis, Elias K.
AU - Aperis, George
AU - Mylonakis, Eleftherios
N1 - Funding Information:
Financial support. National Institutes of Health (K08 award AI63084-01 to E.M.) and the Ellison Medical Foundation (New Scholar Award in Global Infectious Diseases to E.M.). Potential conflicts of interest. All authors: no conflicts.
PY - 2006/10/15
Y1 - 2006/10/15
N2 - The incidence of fungal infections has increased globally, and the introduction of the newer triazoles and echinocandin antifungals is a more-than-welcome and long overdue development. In this report, we review the clinical trials evaluating the therapeutic efficacy of these new antifungal agents and examine possible gaps in coverage. Voriconazole has become the primary treatment for most forms of invasive aspergillosis in a number of centers, posaconazole offers a broad antifungal spectrum, and echinocandins are fungicidal against most Candida species. Moreover, the new agents are active against some fungi that are resistant to amphotericin B, may have a role in the management of fever and neutropenia, and provide exciting options for combination antifungal therapy. However, significant questions remain, including the management of breakthrough infections and treatment failures and the efficacy of the new antifungal agents against less common fungi.
AB - The incidence of fungal infections has increased globally, and the introduction of the newer triazoles and echinocandin antifungals is a more-than-welcome and long overdue development. In this report, we review the clinical trials evaluating the therapeutic efficacy of these new antifungal agents and examine possible gaps in coverage. Voriconazole has become the primary treatment for most forms of invasive aspergillosis in a number of centers, posaconazole offers a broad antifungal spectrum, and echinocandins are fungicidal against most Candida species. Moreover, the new agents are active against some fungi that are resistant to amphotericin B, may have a role in the management of fever and neutropenia, and provide exciting options for combination antifungal therapy. However, significant questions remain, including the management of breakthrough infections and treatment failures and the efficacy of the new antifungal agents against less common fungi.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=33750341078&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=33750341078&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1086/507891
DO - 10.1086/507891
M3 - Review article
C2 - 16983621
AN - SCOPUS:33750341078
SN - 1058-4838
VL - 43
SP - 1060
EP - 1068
JO - Clinical Infectious Diseases
JF - Clinical Infectious Diseases
IS - 8
ER -