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Isavuconazole for the prophylaxis and treatment of invasive fungal disease: A single‐center experience
Author(s) -
Vu Christine A.,
Rana Meenakshi M.,
Jacobs Samantha E.,
SaundersHao Patricia
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
transplant infectious disease
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.69
H-Index - 67
eISSN - 1399-3062
pISSN - 1398-2273
DOI - 10.1111/tid.13469
Subject(s) - medicine , posaconazole , voriconazole , population , tolerability , disease , hematopoietic stem cell transplantation , intensive care medicine , adverse effect , antifungal , dermatology , environmental health
Background Invasive fungal disease (IFD) is a serious complication among the immunocompromised population. Isavuconazole is a newer broad‐spectrum antifungal agent with promising efficacy and safety. However, there remains limited data to favor its use over current first‐line agents. Objectives We aimed to evaluate isavuconazole use and describe rates of associated breakthrough invasive fungal disease (bIFD). Methods A single‐center, retrospective study was conducted to evaluate patients receiving isavuconazole for prophylaxis or treatment of IFD between July 1, 2017 and December 31, 2018. Patient‐related and outcomes data were extracted from electronic medical records. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze our findings. Results A total of 54 patients received 61 isavuconazole courses. Isavuconazole was most commonly prescribed for primary prophylaxis in the acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) population along with treatment for possible invasive fungal disease. The primary reasons for choosing isavuconazole included QTc shortening effects, decreased risk of acute kidney injury, broader spectrum of activity, and concern for breakthrough invasive fungal disease on a different prophylactic agent. We found a breakthrough rate of 8.5% for patients and 7.8% for courses. Conclusions Isavuconazole appears to be a promising alternative for prophylaxis and treatment of invasive fungal disease. We observed similar bIFD rates and improved tolerability when compared to historical data for posaconazole and voriconazole.