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Flucytosine and cryptococcosis: time to urgently address the worldwide accessibility of a 50-year-old antifungal.

Abstract
Current, widely accepted guidelines for the management of HIV-associated cryptococcal meningoencephalitis (CM) recommend amphotericin B combined with flucytosine (5-FC) for ≥2 weeks as the initial induction treatment of choice. However, access to flucytosine in Africa and Asia, where disease burden is greatest, is inadequate at present. While research into identifying effective and well-tolerated antifungal combinations that do not contain flucytosine continues, an ever-increasing body of evidence from in vitro, in vivo and clinical studies points to the benefits of flucytosine in the treatment of CM in both intravenous combinations with amphotericin B and oral combinations with high-dose fluconazole. This article provides an up-to-date review of this evidence, and the current issues and challenges regarding increasing access to this key component of combination antifungal therapy for cryptococcosis.
AuthorsAngela Loyse, Françoise Dromer, Jeremy Day, Olivier Lortholary, Thomas S Harrison
JournalThe Journal of antimicrobial chemotherapy (J Antimicrob Chemother) Vol. 68 Issue 11 Pg. 2435-44 (Nov 2013) ISSN: 1460-2091 [Electronic] England
PMID23788479 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't, Review)
Chemical References
  • Antifungal Agents
  • Amphotericin B
  • Fluconazole
  • Flucytosine
Topics
  • AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections (drug therapy, epidemiology)
  • Africa (epidemiology)
  • Amphotericin B (therapeutic use)
  • Antifungal Agents (supply & distribution, therapeutic use)
  • Asia (epidemiology)
  • Fluconazole (therapeutic use)
  • Flucytosine (supply & distribution, therapeutic use)
  • HIV Infections (complications)
  • Humans
  • Meningitis, Cryptococcal (drug therapy, epidemiology)

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