Voriconazole
One product sits on this shelf: Vfend, 200 mg tablets of voriconazole, a triazole antifungal for Invasive Aspergillosis and Systemic Candidiasis in adults and children aged two and older.
Key points
- Visual disturbance affects around 21% of patients in clinical trials, including changes in colour vision and sensitivity to light.
- Serious liver reactions have been reported uncommonly during treatment, including hepatitis, cholestasis and liver failure with fatalities.
- Voriconazole can prolong the QT interval on an electrocardiogram, a risk that matters when other medicines are taken alongside it.
How does Voriconazole work?
Voriconazole stops fungi from building ergosterol, the molecule that keeps their cell membranes intact. It blocks an enzyme the fungus needs to make ergosterol, so the membrane weakens and the organism cannot grow. This mechanism places it among the Antifungals used for serious invasive fungal infections.