Next-generation antifungal drugs: Mechanisms, efficacy, and clinical prospects.
10.1016/j.apsb.2025.06.013
- Author:
Xueni LU
1
;
Jianlin ZHOU
1
;
Yi MING
1
;
Yuan WANG
1
;
Ruirui HE
1
;
Yangyang LI
1
;
Lingyun FENG
1
;
Bo ZENG
1
;
Yanyun DU
1
;
Chenhui WANG
1
Author Information
1. The Key Laboratory for Human Disease Gene Study of Sichuan Province and the Department of Laboratory Medicine, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China.
- Publication Type:Review
- Keywords:
Antifungal compounds;
Antifungal drugs;
Clinical efficacy;
Combination therapy strategies;
Drug resistance;
Immunotherapy;
Invasive fungal infections;
Mechanism
- From:
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B
2025;15(8):3852-3887
- CountryChina
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
Invasive fungal infections (IFIs) have become prominent global health threats, escalating the burden on public health systems. The increasing occurrence of invasive fungal infections is due primarily to the extensive application of chemotherapy, immunosuppressive therapies, and broad-spectrum antifungal agents. At present, therapeutic practices utilize multiple categories of antifungal agents, such as azoles, polyenes, echinocandins, and pyrimidine analogs. Nevertheless, the clinical effectiveness of these treatments is progressively weakened by the emergence of drug resistance, thereby substantially restricting their therapeutic utility. Consequently, there is an imperative need to expedite the discovery of novel antifungal agents. This review seeks to present an exhaustive synthesis of novel antifungal drugs and candidate agents that are either under current clinical investigation or anticipated to progress into clinical evaluation. These emerging compounds exhibit unique benefits concerning their modes of action, antimicrobial spectra, and pharmacokinetic characteristics, potentially leading to improved therapeutic outcomes relative to conventional antifungal regimens. It is anticipated that these novel therapeutic agents will furnish innovative treatment modalities and enhance clinical outcomes in managing invasive fungal infections.
