Oral and parenteral therapy with saperconazole (R 66905) of invasive aspergillosis in normal and immunocompromised animals.

Saperconazole (R 66905) is a broad-spectrum antifungal triazole with potent in vitro activity against Aspergillus spp. A total of 279 strains were tested in brain heart infusion broth. Development of the Aspergillus spp. was completely inhibited at 0.1 and 1 microgram of saperconazole per ml for 80.3 and 99.6% of the strains, respectively. Normal and immunocompromised guinea pigs were infected intravenously with Aspergillus fumigatus and treated orally, intravenously, or intraperitoneally with saperconazole or intraperitoneally with amphotericin B. Leukopenia, neutropenia, lymphocytosis, and monocytosis were obtained with mechlorethamine hydrochloride; leukopenia, neutrophilia, and lymphopenia were obtained with cyclophosphamide. Saperconazole was dissolved for oral treatment in polyethylene glycol and for parenteral treatment in cyclodextrins. Amphotericin B was given parenterally as Fungizone (E.R. Squibb & Sons). Treatment was given once daily for 14 days. An early starting treatment was efficacious, but the activity of saperconazole was maintained even when the onset of the treatment was delayed to the moribund state. The activity of saperconazole was not altered in immunocompromised animals. Saperconazole was clearly superior to amphotericin B and free of side effects. The oral and parenteral formulations of saperconazole were equipotent. The systemic activity of saperconazole in guinea pigs was confirmed in invasive aspergillosis in pigeons.