THERAPEUTIC DRUG MONITORING OF BROAD SPECTRUM ANTIFUNGAL, VORICONAZOLE- A REVIEW

Voriconazole is a broad-spectrum antifungal drug. It belongs to triazole group, and is available in market as oral as well as intravenous (IV) forms. It is highly effective against a number of clinically important fungi causing invasive infections. Its pharmacokinetic profile is non-linear with extensive inter-individual and intra-individual variability. Various factors contribute towards this variability including age, race, gender, genotype, hepatic functions, administration with or without food, and concomitant administration of other drugs causing drug interactions. Variability in plasma concentrations of the drug, arising from these factors, may result in variations in efficacy of the drug or may contribute towards potential toxicity. Voriconazole therapeutic drug monitoring is mandatory considering bad prognosis of patients suffering from invasive fungal infections, especially ones who are immunosuppressed, and prolonged period of treatment needed, in order to optimize antifungal treatment and to prevent the adverse events.&nbsp