Abstract
Fungal pathogens are an increasingly recognized complication of organ transplantation and the ever more potent chemotherapeutic regimens for childhood malignancies. This article provides a brief overview of the current state of systemic antifungal therapy. Currently licensed drugs, including amphotericin B and its lipid derivates; 5-fluorocytosine; the azoles, including fluconazole, itraconazole, and voriconazole; and a representative of the new class of echinocandin agents, caspofungin, are discussed. Newer second-generation azoles (posaconazole and ravuconazole) and echinocandins (micafungin and anidulafungin) that are likely to be licensed in the United States in the next few years also are addressed.
MeSH terms
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Age Factors
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Amphotericin B / therapeutic use
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Anidulafungin
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Antifungal Agents / chemistry
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Antifungal Agents / pharmacology
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Antifungal Agents / supply & distribution
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Antifungal Agents / therapeutic use*
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Caspofungin
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Chemistry, Pharmaceutical
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Child
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Clinical Trials as Topic
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Drug Approval
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Drug Resistance, Fungal
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Echinocandins
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Fluconazole / therapeutic use
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Flucytosine / therapeutic use
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Humans
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Itraconazole / therapeutic use
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Lipopeptides
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Lipoproteins / therapeutic use
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Micafungin
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Mycoses / drug therapy*
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Mycoses / microbiology
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Patient Selection
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Pediatrics / methods*
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Pediatrics / standards
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Pediatrics / trends
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Peptides, Cyclic / therapeutic use
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Pyrimidines / therapeutic use
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Safety
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Thiazoles / therapeutic use
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Triazoles / therapeutic use
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United States
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Voriconazole
Substances
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Antifungal Agents
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Echinocandins
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Lipopeptides
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Lipoproteins
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Peptides, Cyclic
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Pyrimidines
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Thiazoles
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Triazoles
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Itraconazole
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posaconazole
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Amphotericin B
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Fluconazole
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ER 30346
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Anidulafungin
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Flucytosine
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Caspofungin
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Voriconazole
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Micafungin