Antifungals: what's in the pipeline

The therapeutic landscape for mycotic infections is shifting. New generatio n azoles that are active against clinically relevant, drug-resistant fungal pathogens have improved bioavailability, half-lives and safety profiles. A cylated cyclic peptide inhibitors of beta (1,3)glucan synthesis with origin s as fungal metabolites provide an alternative and highly-selective mode of action, targeting cell-wall biogenesis in important pathogens such as Cand ida and Aspergillus species. The development, in each structural class, of compounds that have advanced to late-stage clinical trials is summarized in this review.