IN-VITRO ACTIVITY OF VORICONAZOLE AGAINST CANDIDA SPECIES

The in vitro activity of voriconazole was compared with that of itraco nazole and fluconazole against 181 isolates of Candida albicans, 124 i solates of Candida glabrata, and 20 isolates of Candida krusei obtaine d from the early 1980s through the mid-1990s. Voriconazole had greater intrinsic activity than fluconazole or intraconazole against all thre e Candida species: For C. glabrata, C. krusei, and C. albicans, the MI C50 values for voriconazole were 1 mu g/mL, 0.5 mu g/mL, and 0.01 mu g /Int, respectively, compared with fluconazole MIC50 values of 8 mu g/m L, 64 mu g/mL, and 0.25 mu g/mL, respectively. If isolates from AIDS p atients were excluded, MIC values for isolates from the 1990s were no higher than those noted for isolates from the 1980s. Voriconazole, a n ew triazole antifungal agent, appears to have enhanced activity agains t these three species of Candida; the clinical relevance of these find ings should be studied in treatment trials. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Inc.