This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project proposes to develop a fungal drug delivery system for the prevention and treatment of serious blood stream infections (BSIs) caused by Candida albicans and other pathogenic and opportunistic fungi. Many current antifungals cannot be employed for prevention of infections in susceptible patient populations because they are too toxic or expensive. To overcome these problems a drug delivery system has been devised that specifically targets fungi. To test the concept of the targeting agent in Phase I, the delivery agent will be coupled to Amphotericin B, a first line antifungal that must be used judiciously because of toxic side-effects in some formulations or expense in others. In Phase II, robust delivery systems employing targeted micelles will be developed and tested in animal model systems for the treatment of fungal blood stream infections. The broader commercial impacts of this research are related to increased health benefits and reduced costs for treatment of fungal infections. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services are in the process of reducing reimbursements for hospital-acquired fungal infections. Due to this and other pressures, the market for antifungal drugs is large and growing, and hospitals and drug companies would have a strong interest in the proposed technology. This technology could also have a significant impact in underdeveloped and developing countries that do not have access to advanced anti-AIDS drugs, because AIDS patients are highly susceptible to BSIs
