Active clinical trials for "Invasive Fungal Infections"

This study is designed to evaluate the safety, tolerance and efficacy of Posaconazole (SCH 56592) under an open label, treatment protocol for subjects with invasive fungal infections: A. which are refractory or resistant to standard antifungal therapies; B. for which there are currently no effective therapies; C. with a prior history of serious, severe or life-threatening toxicities while receiving antifungal therapy; D. with pre-existing organ dysfunction which precludes the administration of standard antifungal therapies.

The availability of sensitive and specific fungal biomarkers could be a precious help to improve the management of patients suffering from fungal diseases, not only by allowing preemptive treatment, but also by offering objective elements to assess patient therapeutic response and prognosis. The use of such biomarkers could also contribute to accurately evaluate novel antifungal drugs effectiveness and to serve as a valuable tool to guide decisions regarding ineffective treatments and dose selection in product development. Using two or three tests may increase the sensitivity to detect IFI. The results of the serum assays will be correlated to the definition of 'proven' fungal infection as defined by the EORTC/MSG criteria published in 2008. Based upon results from adults' studies, the investigators estimate that galactomannan antigen or 1, 3 β-D glucan could reasonably have a 90% sensitivity (with a 95% CI between 73% and 98%) under the current design. As concern the aspergillus fumigatus PCR, sensitivity and specificity could be estimated between 63% to 100% and 87% to 96.7%, respectively.

The purpose of this study is to compare the effects, good and/or bad, of posaconazole and micafungin in preventing fungal infections after chemotherapy for acute leukemia or myelodysplastic syndrome. When people take chemotherapy, they are more likely to get infections. Posaconazole has been approved for the prevention of fungal infections in patients who receive induction chemotherapy for acute leukemia and myelodysplastic syndrome. Posaconazole is available only as an oral suspension and has to be given with food. After chemotherapy, many patients are not able to tolerate food or oral medication because of severe mucositis. Patients unable to tolerate food and oral medications cannot take posaconazole. Micafungin is an antifungal medication that is given only intravenously. Micafungin is approved for the treatment of certain fungal infections and for preventing fungal infections in patients who receive bone marrow transplant. The investigators know that micafungin is safe. Micafungin has not been tested for the prevention of fungal infections in patients receiving chemotherapy for acute leukemia and myelodysplastic syndrome. Because micafungin is given by vein, it can be given even in patients who cannot take food or medications by mouth after chemotherapy. In this study the investigators want to compare micafungin to posaconazole when given for the prevention of fungal infections in leukemia and myelodysplastic syndrome patients.

Antifungal prophylaxis should be used in patients being treated with glucocorticoids for graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) following allogeneic hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (HSCT). Although fluconazole has been widely used as an antifungal prophylactic agent after allogeneic HSCT, fluconazole prophlaxis only shows a limited protective role against IFIs, is not effective against invasive aspergillosis. In addition, NCCN guideline of the prevention and treatment of cancer-related infections recommends antifungal prophylaxis in patients with significant GVHD until resolution of GVHD using Posaconazole, Voriconazole, Echinocandin, or Amphotericin B. However, under the National Health Insurance System, none of the drug can be given prophylactically except itraconazole oral solution against IFIs. Itraconazole oral solution shows excellent bioavailability and good efficacy against aspergillus and fluconazole resistant candida infection.Based on these findings, we will perform prospective multicenter study evaluating the efficacy, safety and long-term outcomes of itraconazole oral solution prophylaxis against IFIs in patients treated with systemic corticosteroids for GVHD after allogeneic HSCT.

The purpose of this multicenter, open label study, is to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a 12-week treatment with Posaconazole Oral Suspension in participants with IFI

This phase II study will be conducted to: evaluate the pharmacokinetics, safety, tolerance, and efficacy of different dosing schedules of Posaconazole in immunocompromised hosts with a variety of refractory invasive fungal infections or in subjects who require empiric antifungal therapy and identify the dosing schedule that provides the most consistent therapeutic drug exposure in this patient population.

The purpose of this trial is to evaluate the pharmacokinetics of single intravenous of Amphotericin B Colloidal Dispersion(ABCD)in Chinese healthy subjects.

The objective of this study proposal is to determine whether pharmacologic optimization of voriconazole by means of therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) results in improved patient outcomes (efficacy and safety) and is more cost-effective compared to the current standard of care.

This study will evaluate the safety and effectiveness of posaconazole for treating invasive fungal infections. New therapies for these infections are needed for patients who do not respond, to or cannot tolerate, standard treatment. These patients include those with immune defects who have significant side effects from treatment with amphotericin or other antifungals. Patients 13 years of age or older who are on other primary NIH protocols with an invasive fungal infection 1) that does not respond to standard antifungal therapies; 2) for which there is no effective therapy; 3) who develop serious side effects from their current treatment; or 4) who have organ dysfunction that does not permit use of standard antifungal treatments may be eligible for this study. Candidates will be screened with a medical history, including a review of current and previous antifungal treatments, pregnancy test for women of childbearing potential, electrocardiogram (EKG), and detailed neurologic examination. Participants will take either 200 mg (1 teaspoonful) of liquid posaconazole by mouth four times a day or 400 mg (two teaspoonfuls) twice a day for a period of 28 days to 24 months. (The physician will determine the duration of treatment.) Patients will have monthly follow-up visits during the treatment period and 1 month after treatment is completed for the following procedures: Detailed neurologic exam every 3 months Blood tests every month EKG every month Imaging studies, including chest x-ray, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) radionuclide scanning or ultrasound, every month until the infection has been stable for three determinations. Thereafter, imaging studies will be done every 3 months as long as the infection remains stable or improves. On the last day of the study treatment period, participants will have a detailed neurologic exam and review of medications and medical complaints since their last visit.

Invasive fungal infections are often life-threatening in persons with immunocompromise. Persons with prolonged neutropenia secondary to cytotoxic chemotherapies are at high risk for these infections. Patients undergoing bone marrow transplantation, receiving prolonged corticosteroid or other immunosuppressive therapies, and persons with HIV infection and AIDS are also at risk. With the use of currently approved antifungal therapy, many of these infections may still be associated with a high mortality. Amphotericin B in its conventional form, is the current standard treatment for most life-threatening fungal infections. Because of its nephrotoxicity and other adverse effects, alternatives to conventional amphotericin B have been sought. Alternated agents include three lipid formulations of amphotericin B, fluconazole, itraconazole. Although all of these agents are associated with a decrease in adverse effects, their efficacy in most life-threatening fungal infections has not been shown to be equivalent to conventional amphotericin B. Voriconazole is an investigational antifungal drug currently being brought to phase III trials in the US. This azole has been shown active against many fungal pathogens in vitro. In animal models and early human trials this new agent has been shown to be effective against aspergillosis. It has been shown to be well-tolerated and is available in an intravenous and oral formulation. This is a non-comparative, open label study to evaluate the efficacy, safety and toleration of voriconazole in the treatment of invasive fungal infections. This agent will be used as primary therapy in those fungal infections in which no antifungal agent is currently approved or in patients unable to tolerate the approved agent. Voriconazole will also be used as a secondary treatment in those patients who have failed therapy with the primary approved agent or are unable to tolerate that agent or have unacceptable toxicity.