123. Oral Ibrexafungerp Outcomes by Fungal Disease in Patients from an Interim Analysis of a Phase 3 Open-label Study (FURI)

Candidemia in Adult Patients in the ICU: A Reappraisal of Susceptibility Testing and Antifungal Therapy

OBJECTIVE

To provide updates on the epidemiology and recommendations for management of candidemia in patients with critical illness.

DATA SOURCES

A literature search using the PubMed database (inception to March 2023) was conducted using the search terms "invasive candidiasis," "candidemia," "critically ill," "azoles," "echinocandin," "antifungal agents," "rapid diagnostics," "antifungal susceptibility testing," "therapeutic drug monitoring," "antifungal dosing," "persistent candidemia," and "Candida biofilm."

STUDY SELECTION/DATA EXTRACTION

Clinical data were limited to those published in the English language. Ongoing trials were identified through ClinicalTrials.gov.

DATA SYNTHESIS

A total of 109 articles were reviewed including 25 pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic studies and 30 studies including patient data, 13 of which were randomized controlled clinical trials. The remaining 54 articles included fungal surveillance data, in vitro studies, review articles, and survey data. The current 2016 Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) Clinical Practice Guideline for the Management of Candidiasis provides recommendations for selecting empiric and definitive antifungal therapies for candidemia, but data are limited regarding optimized dosing strategies in critically ill patients with dynamic pharmacokinetic changes or persistent candidemia complicated.

RELEVANCE TO PATIENT CARE AND CLINICAL PRACTICE

Outcomes due to candidemia remain poor despite improved diagnostic platforms, antifungal susceptibility testing, and antifungal therapy selection for candidemia in critically ill patients. Earlier detection and identification of the species causing candidemia combined with recognition of patient-specific factors leading to dosing discrepancies are crucial to improving outcomes in critically ill patients with candidemia.

CONCLUSIONS

Treatment of candidemia in critically ill patients must account for the incidence of non-albicans Candida species and trends in antifungal resistance as well as overcome the complex pathophysiologic changes to avoid suboptimal antifungal exposure.

The Feasibility of Ibrexafungerp for the Treatment of Fungal Infections in Patients with Hematological Malignancies

Invasive fungal diseases (IFD) remain a major cause of morbidity and mortality in hematological patients, especially those undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Despite relatively high incidence, diagnosis and treatment remain a challenge due to non-specific manifestation and limited antifungal armamentarium. A first-in-class triterpenoid antifungal ibrexafungerp that acts by inhibiting the glucan synthase enzyme in the fungal cell wall was recently approved by the USA Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of vaginal yeast infections. Preclinical data show activity against numerous fungi species, including azole- and echinocandin-resistant strains. Preliminary data from ongoing phase 3 studies in IFD have been encouraging, but the role of ibrexafungerp in hematological patients who develop fungal infections has not yet been described. Herein, we discuss the feasibility of oral ibrexafungerp-based antifungal therapy for adult patients with hematological malignancies who have either undergone HSCT or received treatment with a novel targeted therapy agent. We present four clinical cases where ibrexafungerp alone or in combination with other antifungal agents was successfully employed for the management of refractory fungal infection. We describe real-life experiences showing the potential clinical implementation of ibrexafungerp for patients with hematological malignancies for the first time, and provoke future discussion.