Anti-Fungal Drug Delivery Method Created

A Canadian scientist has created a drug delivery method to effectively treat fungal infections that can be lethal in cancer and transplant patients.

University of British Columbia-Vancouver Professor Kishor Wasan developed a liquid preparation that incorporates drug molecules in a lipid-based formulation so Amphotericin B, a potent anti-fungal agent, can be taken by mouth with minimal side effects.

The agent, used for about 50 years, is administered intravenously and has significant side effects, notably severe kidney toxicity as well as serious tissue damage at the intravenous injection site.

Wasan and colleagues discovered the oral preparation triggers a different molecular interaction than intravenous delivery. The lipid-based system attacks fungal cells only while inhibiting the drug’s interaction with kidney cells, thereby boosting effectiveness and dramatically reducing toxicity.

The findings are to appear in the journal Drug Development and Industrial Pharmacy.