IN-VITRO ACTIVITY OF VORICONAZOLE AGAINST YEASTS, MOLDS AND DERMATOPHYTES IN COMPARISON WITH FLUCONAZOLE, AMPHOTERICIN-B AND GRISEOFULVIN

Voriconazole (GAS 137234-62-9, UK-109,496), a new antifungal triazole derivative, was studied in vitro against 650 clinical isolates, repres enting yeasts, moulds and dermatophytes, and was compared with flucona zole (GAS 86386-73-4), amphotericin B (GAS 1397-89-3), and griseofulvi n (GAS 126-07-8). The mean minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of voriconazole were 0.06 mu g/ml against yeasts (n = 187), 0.74 mu g/ml against moulds (n = 260) and 0.10 mu g/ml against dermatophytes (n = 203). Data from these in vitro studies showed that voriconazole was mo re potent than fluconazole against most species studied, but particula rly against the isolates of moulds and dermatophytes. Overall, voricon azole and amphotericin B indicated comparably good activity against ye asts and moulds. Voriconazole was highly potent against 13 Aspergillus species studied (mean MIC 0.35 mu g/ml) and also showed noteworthy ac tivity (mean MICs 0.08-0.78 mu g/ml) against emerging and less common clinical isolates of opportunistic moulds such as of Alternaria spp., Cladosporium spp., Acremonium spp., Chrysosporium spp., and Fusarium s pp. In addition, voriconazole was more active in vitro than griseofulv in against most dermatophytes tested. The in vitro results confirmed t hat voriconazole has indeed a broad antifungal spectrum and could also be effective against a wide range of fungal infections in patients.