Precision Therapy for Invasive Fungal Diseases

Abstract

Invasive fungal infections (IFI) are a common infection-related cause of death in immunocompromised patients. Approximately 10 million people are at risk of developing invasive aspergillosis annually. Detailed study of the pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamics (PD) of antifungal drugs has resulted in a better understanding of optimal regimens for populations, drug exposure targets for therapeutic drug monitoring, and establishing in vitro susceptibility breakpoints. Importantly, however, each is an example of a “one size fits all strategy”, where complex systems are reduced to a singularity that ensures antifungal therapy is administered safely and effectively at the level of a population. Clearly, such a notion serves most patients adequately but is completely counter to the covenant at the centre of the clinician–patient relationship, where each patient should know whether they are well-positioned to maximally benefit from an antifungal drug. This review discusses the current therapy of fungal infections and areas of future research to maximise the effectiveness of antifungal therapy at an individual level.

Keywords

• antifungals
• pharmacokinetics
• pharmacodynamics
• precision therapy