Posted on August 30, 2004 at 9:35 a.m.
BIRMINGHAM, AL — The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) has received a three-year, $6.8 million grant to investigate the use of caspofungin, an antifungal drug, as a preventive treatment for invasive candidiasis, the most common form of serious fungal infection, in high-risk critical care patients. The study is funded by Merck Research Laboratories and is supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), the funding agency for the Bacteriology and Mycology Study Group (BMSG), a national consortium led by Dr. William Dismukes, director of UAB’s Division of Infectious Diseases.
“At-risk critical care patients routinely are prescribed antifungal medications without clear evidence the medications are needed,” Dismukes said. “The study is designed to determine whether antifungal medications should be prescribed routinely or only given to select patients.”
Candida, commonly found on the skin, is a yeast that causes candidiasis, such as vaginitis, thrush (oral) and esophagitis. “These infections do not pose a real health problem, however Candida can infect deep tissue and organs causing serious illness,” Dismukes said. “Critical care patients in intensive care units are at risk for a variety of complications. One of the most common is the development of new infection, in particular, candidiasis.”
Caspofungin was licensed in 2001. In recent years, it has been proven effective in treating fungal infections. “This new drug works against various fungal species and has a low potential for inducing drug resistance,” Dismukes said. “This is important because we are seeing fungal infections that are resistant to antifungal drugs and are harder to treat.”
The national study will enroll 1,050 patients in surgical and medical critical care units at 23 BAMSG sites across the country. “Of those enrolled, two-thirds will receive the antifungal drug and one-third will receive a placebo. Patients will be treated and followed for up to 28 days while they are in intensive care.”
BMSG recently was awarded a five-year, $12 million grant renewal from NIAID. The funding provides infrastructure support for this and other studies aimed at the prevention and treatment of serious bacterial and fungal infections.
UAB is the BMSG coordinating site. Dr. Luis Ostrosky-Zeichner, assistant professor of medicine with the University of Texas-Houston, is protocol chair for this study. Dr. Jack Sobel, professor of medicine with Wayne State University in Detroit, is the protocol co-chair.