Current Usage and Prospect of New Antifungal agents in Korea

Sang Il Kim; Moon Won Kang

doi:10.3947/ic.2010.42.4.209

Journal List > Infect Chemother > v.42(4) > 1035012

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Kim and Kang: Current Usage and Prospect of New Antifungal agents in Korea

Review Article

Infection & Chemotherapy

Infection & Chemotherapy 2010; 42(4): 209-215.

Published online: 30 August 2010

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3947/ic.2010.42.4.209

Current Usage and Prospect of New Antifungal agents in Korea

Sang Il Kim, Moon Won Kang

Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea.

Correspondence to Moon Won Kang, M.D. Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, #505, Banpo-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul 137-040, Korea. Tel: +82-2-2258-6001, Fax: +82-2-3477-9193, infect@catholic.ac.kr

Received 3 August 2010 Accepted 3 August 2010

(open-access):

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract

The incidence of invasive fungal infections has been increased worldwide along with the increasing population at high risk for fungal infection. However, no data is available for the current status of usage of antifungal agents in Korea. We described the usage of antifungal agents including second-generation triazole and echinocandins that have been recently introduced. Data from Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service were analyzed. Estimated total DDDs (daily defined doses)/1,000 patient-day of parenteral antifungal agents were 187.6 in 2008 and 143.2 in 2007 and annual rates of increase was 20% to 30% since 2004. Indeed, increased percentage of newer agents were observed. Changes of the treatment guidelines and the regulations for insurance coverage are considered to influence the trend of antifungal usage.

Keywords: Usage of antifungal agents, Trend, Korea

Figures and Tables

Figure 1

Estimated total DDDs (daily defined doses)/1,000 patient-day of parenteral antifungal agents were 187.6 in 2008 and 143.2 in 2007. Annual increment was 20% to 30% since 2004.

VCZ, voriconazole; CSFG, caspofungin; ICZ, itraconazole; FCZ, fluconazole; ABLC, amphotericin B lipid complex; AMB, amphotericin B

Figure 2

Tornado diagrams of sensitivity analysis on change in ICER (incremental cost- effectiveness ratio) for clinical success and survival after treatment. Adopted from; Jo CI, Jun S, Kim SI. An economic evaluation of anidulafungin in the treatment of invasive candidiasis in Korea. Presented at the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR) 3rd Asia-Pacific Conference; September 7-9, 2008; Seoul, Korea

Table 1

Approved Dates, Product Types, and Indications of New Antifungal agents by KFDA (Korean Food and Drug Administration)^a

CSFG, caspofungin; VCZ, voriconazole; MCFG, micafungin

^aFebruary 1, 2009, Available from: URL:http://ezdrug.kfda.go.kr/kfda2

Table 2

Amount of New Antifungal agents Requested for Reimbursement to National Health Insurance Corporation by Year

CSFG, caspofungin; VCZ, voriconazole; MCFG, micafungin

Table 3

Amounts of Antifungal agents Imported in Korea by Year

CSFG, caspofungin; VCZ, voriconazole; MCFG, micafungin

^aData were estimated to vials from the total sales presented from Pfizer.

^bData of the forth quarter of 2008 were not included.

Table 4

Amounts (Numbers of Vials) of Parenteral Antifungal agents that are Requested for Reimbursement in Korea by Year

AMB, amphotericin B; ABCD, amphotericin B colloid; ABLC, amphotericin B lipid complex; ICZ, itraconazole; FCZ, fluconazole; VCZ, voriconazole; CSFG, caspofungin

Table 5

Measured DDDs (defined daily doses)/1,000 Patient-day and Percentage of Each Drug among Total Parenteral Antifungal Agents in Korea

AMB, amphotericin B; ABLC, amphotericin B lipid complex; ICZ, itraconazole; FCZ, fluconazole; VCZ, voriconazole; CSFG, caspofungin

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