Aerosolized Delivery of Antifungal Agents

Pulmonary infections caused by Aspergillus species are associated with significant morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised patients. Although the treatment of pulmonary fungal infections requires the use of systemic agents, aerosolized delivery is an attractive option in prevention because the...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Current fungal infection reports 2010-06, Vol.4 (2), p.96-102
Main Authors: Le, Jennifer, Schiller, Daryl S.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Infectious Diseases
Internal Medicine
Medicine
Medicine & Public Health
Occupational Medicine/Industrial Medicine
Pneumology/Respiratory System
Tropical Medicine
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Summary:Pulmonary infections caused by Aspergillus species are associated with significant morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised patients. Although the treatment of pulmonary fungal infections requires the use of systemic agents, aerosolized delivery is an attractive option in prevention because the drug can concentrate locally at the site of infection with minimal systemic exposure. Current clinical evidence for the use of aerosolized delivery in preventing fungal infections is limited to amphotericin B products, although itraconazole, voriconazole, and caspofungin are under investigation. Based on conflicting results from clinical trials that evaluated various amphotericin B formulations, the routine use of aerosolized delivery cannot be recommended. Further research with well-designed clinical trials is necessary to elucidate the therapeutic role and risks associated with aerosolized delivery of antifungal agents. This article provides an overview of aerosolized delivery systems, the intrapulmonary pharmacokinetic properties of aerosolized antifungal agents, and key findings from clinical studies.
ISSN:1936-3761
1936-377X
DOI:10.1007/s12281-010-0011-0