2009 Volume 62 Issue 1 Pages 17-25
There have been some reports on the efficacy and tolerability of itraconazole (ITCZ) as prophylaxis for fungal infection after HSCT, and guidelines recommend itraconazole as a standard drug for prophylaxis of fungal infection in HSCT patients.
However, it is not uncommon for patients undergoing HSCT to develop anorexia and taste disturbance. There are some cases where the bitter taste of ITCZ oral solution leads to interruption of administration because the patient refuses to take this medicine. Therefore, we investigated the clinical utility and influence on continuing treatment adherence by jellification of ITCZ. Compared with ITCZ oral solution, jellified ITCZ was extremely easy for most patients to take, and it was suggested that jellified ITCZ can make it easier for patients to continue treatment if they have difficulty with administration because of the bitter taste of ITCZ oral solution.
Furthermore, it was confirmed that the plasma concentration of ITCZ was suitable for prophylaxis even with jellified ITCZ. This also suggested that the efficacy of ITCZ would be maintained by using jellified formation.
For long-term antifungal therapy in patients with a high risk of fungal infection such as those having HSCT, it is very important for successful prophylaxis to maintain good adherence.
