Antifungal Chemotherapeutics

This review addresses trends in outcome and risk factors for invasive fungal infections, current antifungal agents and new therapeutic strategies. Current prospects for new therapies rest upon caspofungin, the first of a new class of antifungal molecules, the echinocandins, and new extended-spectrum azoles, voriconazole, posaconazole and ravuconazole. Approval by the Food and Drug Administration of the USA and the European Medicine Agency was given in 2001–2002 to voriconazole and caspofungin. Voriconazole clearly demonstrated a decrease in mortality in invasive aspergillosis and fusariosis fungal infections.