[Advances in the development of antifungal agents]

The present review paper deals with novel antifungal drugs. The lack of new antifungal drugs ascend proportionally to the increasing occurrence of serious infections caused by yeast and fungi mainly at immunocompromised or in other way sensitive patients. The topical state of pharmacotherapy is briefly drawn out; most attention is given to newly developed active entities. Established agents do not satisfy the medical need completely, azoles are fungistatic and vulnerable to resistance, whereas polyenes cause serious host toxicity. Drugs in clinical development include modified azoles and a new class of echinocandins and pneumocandins. Other promising novel agents in preclinical development include several inhibitors of fungal protein, lipid and cell wall syntheses.