Korean Journal of Medical Mycology  2003;8(2):35-42

Current and Emerging Antifungal Agents in Japan.

Hideyo YAMAGUCHI 1

Affiliations

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Keywords

Antifungal agents; Amphotericin B lipid formulations; Itraconazole-hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin complex; New generation antifungal triazoles; Echinocandins

Country

Republic of Korea

Language

English

Abstract

Currently available antifungal agents for the treatment of systemic fungal infections in Japan are smaller in number than those in the United States and Europe and probably in Korea. Therefore, the development of novel antifungal drugs for clinical use, including new formulations of approved agents, with advantages over and/or complimentary to existing agents is particularly needed in Japan. In this review, I have described historical perspectives of existing systemic antifungal agents and provided a brief overview of the current status of clinical development of several different categories of new drugs as follows: (1) liposomal amphotericin B; (2) itraconazole-hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin complexes; (3) phosphatyl fluconazole (phosfluconazole) ; (4) voriconazole; and (5) micafungin (FK463). At this moment, micafungin, a member of echinocandins attracts the greatest attention of Japanese medical mycologists because it has just been introduced into the clinic and has unique chemical and biological characteristics distinct from any other existing class of antifungal drugs. Micafungin, as well as other new drugs under clinical development, should constitute effective new options for the management of a variety of systemic fungal infections.