New antifungal agents

The prevalence of fungal infections has been increasing over the past few decades, but the spectrum of new antifungal agents has also been increasing in response to these new demands. To improve current methods of systemic antifungal therapy, modified versions of the systemic polyene antifungal amphotericin B have been created. Also, several second-generation azole antifungal agents are in various stages of development, with the current emphasis on systemic infections rather than superficial infections. There may be some potential for cross-resistance among these azoles, but more work needs to be done to further the understanding of azole mechanisms of action and azole resistance. A new class of antifungal agents, the echinocandins and pneumocandins, target the fungal cell wall.