Lipid formulations of amphotericin B

The incidence of systemic fungal infections, especially in immunocompromised patients, has continued to increase during the past few decades. Treatment with conventional amphotericin B has been the standard care for the majority of patients with invasive fungal infections, despite its associated toxicity. Three lipid formulations of amphotericin B have now been approved for use in the United States. The pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, clinical experience, toxicity, dosing strategies, and cost of these three preparations--amphotericin B lipid complex, amphotericin B colloidal dispersion, and liposomal amphotericin B--were reviewed in detail in this chapter. The clinical data indicate that lipid formulations of amphotericin B represent an important therapeutic modality in the management of invasive fungal infections.