The search for new antifungal drugs and strategies continues

Much of the research presented at the 4th Congress of the European Confederation of Medical Mycology involved new ways of combating the problem of resistance to antifungal agents. Among the possible ways forward in medical mycology are improvements in the bioavailability of existing agents, more clinical testing of new agents and further development of the lipid formulations of amphotericin B. A current major concern of clinicians is that they are now seeing the appearance of cross-resistance between a number of previously very effective antifungals drugs. New in vitro results of terbinafine were presented at this congress, along with the latest information on voriconazole. There is little doubt that the only way to combat emerging drug resistance is at a subcellular level. This will require a much more detailed understanding than we have at present of how fungi and yeasts work.