| Active substance | Itraconazole (C35H38Cl2N8O4) |
| US Brand | Sporanox, Orungal |
| IN Brand | Itaspor |
| Manufacturing by | Intas, India |
| Strength | 100mg, 200mg |
| Form release | blister 4 capsules |
| Estimated shipping time | 7 – 18 days (Depending from the Country) |
| Availability, Prices & Order | through request form |
Itraconazole has a broader spectrum of activity than fluconazole (but not as broad as voriconazole or posaconazole). In particular, it is active against Aspergillus, which fluconazole is not. It is also licensed for use in blastomycosis, sporotrichosis, histoplasmosis, and onychomycosis. Itraconazole is over 99% protein-bound and has virtually no penetration into cerebrospinal fluid. Therefore, it should never be used to treat meningitis or other central nervous system infections. According to the Johns Hopkins Abx Guide, it has “negligible CSF penetration, however treatment has been successful for cryptococcal and coccidioidal meningitis”.
It is also prescribed for systemic infections, such as aspergillosis, candidiasis, and cryptococcosis, where other antifungal drugs are inappropriate or ineffective.
Itraconazole has also recently been explored as an anticancer agent for patients with basal cell carcinoma, non-small cell lung cancer, and prostate cancer. For example, in a phase II study involving men with advanced prostate cancer, high-dose itraconazole (600 mg/day) was associated with significant PSA responses and a delay in tumor progression. Itraconazole also showed activity in a phase II trial in men with non-small cell lung cancer when it was combined with the chemotherapy agent, pemetrexed.
Usual Adult Dose for Blastomycosis
Loading dose: 200 mg orally 3 times a day for the first 3 days of therapy
Maintenance dose: 200 mg orally once or twice a day
Duration of therapy: At least 3 months and until clinical parameters and laboratory tests indicate the active fungal infection has subsided
Comments:
-Capsule formulation
-A loading dose should be used in life-threatening situations.
-If no obvious improvement or if evidence of progressive fungal disease at 200 mg/day, the dose should be increased in 100 mg increments to a maximum of 400 mg/day.
Usual Adult Dose for Histoplasmosis
Loading dose: 200 mg orally 3 times a day for the first 3 days of therapy
Maintenance dose: 200 mg orally once or twice a day
Duration of therapy: At least 3 months and until clinical parameters and laboratory tests indicate the active fungal infection has subsided
Comments:
-Capsule formulation
-A loading dose should be used in life-threatening situations.
-If no obvious improvement or if evidence of progressive fungal disease at 200 mg/day, the dose should be increased in 100 mg increments to a maximum of 400 mg/day.
Usual Adult Dose for Aspergillosis – Aspergilloma
Loading dose: 200 mg orally 3 times a day for the first 3 days of therapy
Maintenance dose: 200 mg orally once or twice a day
Duration of therapy: At least 3 months and until clinical parameters and laboratory tests indicate the active fungal infection has subsided
Comments:
-Capsule formulation
-A loading dose should be used in life-threatening situations.
Commonly reported side effects of itraconazole include: nausea. Other side effects include: vomiting. See below for a comprehensive list of adverse effects.
