Voriconazole therapeutic drug monitoring: focus on safety.
BACKGROUND
Voriconazole has been widely used for the treatment of invasive fungal diseases, particularly invasive aspergillosis. Drug-drug interactions are, however, the main drawback associated with voriconazole use, since this drug suffers from extensive hepatic metabolism.


METHODS
This article reviews the current literature on voriconazole therapeutic drug monitoring, with a special focus on drug safety.


RESULTS
An update on voriconazole metabolism, drug interactions, toxicity and the relation of these with voriconazole drug concentrations.


CONCLUSIONS
Therapy with voriconazole may be better guided by measuring voriconazole concentrations in the plasma.
Pasqualotto
Alessandro C
AC
Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Post Graduation Program in Pulmonary Sciences, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
Xavier
Melissa O
MO
Andreolla
Huander F
HF
Linden
Rafael
R
D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D001189:Aryl Hydrocarbon Hydroxylases / Q000235:genetics; D019411:Clinical Laboratory Techniques; D065731:Cytochrome P-450 CYP2C19; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics; D004347:Drug Interactions; D016903:Drug Monitoring; D006801:Humans; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D011743:Pyrimidines / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D014230:Triazoles / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D065819:Voriconazole
D000935:Antifungal Agents; D011743:Pyrimidines; D014230:Triazoles; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System; D001189:Aryl Hydrocarbon Hydroxylases; C045793:CYP2C19 protein, human; D065731:Cytochrome P-450 CYP2C19; D065819:Voriconazole