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Comparison of clinical pharmacology of voriconazole and posaconazole

Beata M Sienkiewicz1, Łukasz Łapiński1, Anna Wiela-Hojeńska1

  • 1Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland.

Contemporary Oncology (Poznan, Poland)
|April 5, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Voriconazole and posaconazole are effective antifungal drugs, but differ in usage, absorption, metabolism, side effects, and interactions. Understanding their clinical pharmacology optimizes treatment for invasive fungal infections in all patients.

Area of Science:

  • Medical Mycology
  • Clinical Pharmacology
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • Fungal infections pose a significant clinical challenge, particularly in immunocompromised and hematologic patients.
  • The increasing prevalence necessitates the development of new antifungal agents and optimization of existing therapies.
  • Voriconazole and posaconazole represent advanced broad-spectrum triazole antifungals.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare the clinical pharmacology of voriconazole and posaconazole.
  • To detail their therapeutic indications, contraindications, and pharmacokinetic profiles.
  • To provide insights for optimizing antifungal pharmacotherapy.

Main Methods:

  • Comparative analysis of clinical pharmacology data for voriconazole and posaconazole.
  • Review of therapeutic indications, adverse drug reactions, drug-drug interactions, and dosage regimens.
  • Literature synthesis on factors influencing pharmacotherapy.

Main Results:

  • Voriconazole and posaconazole exhibit distinct profiles in absorption, metabolism, adverse effects, and drug interactions.
  • Specific indications vary, with voriconazole used for Scedosporium and posaconazole for coccidioidomycosis and chromoblastomycosis.
  • Both agents are crucial for treating invasive aspergillosis and Candida infections.

Conclusions:

  • Detailed knowledge of voriconazole and posaconazole clinical pharmacology is essential for effective treatment of invasive fungal infections.
  • Understanding drug-specific differences allows for optimized pharmacotherapy selection and management.
  • This comparative analysis aids clinicians in treating diverse fungal infections in adult and pediatric populations.
Keywords:
clinical pharmacologycytochrome P-450 enzyme systemdrug monitoringposaconazolevoriconazole

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