Drug Discovery and Repurposing for Coccidioides: A Systematic Review

Sarah Saeger; Sofia Lozano; Nathan Wiederhold; Jieh Juen Yu; Jose L. Lopez-Ribot; Chiung Yu Hung

doi:10.3390/jof11120875

Drug Discovery and Repurposing for Coccidioides: A Systematic Review

Sarah Saeger
, Sofia Lozano
, Nathan Wiederhold
, Jieh Juen Yu
, Jose L. Lopez-Ribot
, Chiung Yu Hung

Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review

Abstract

Coccidioides immitis and C. posadasii are the causative agents of coccidioidomycosis (CM) or Valley Fever, endemic to the alkaline deserts of North and South America. Clinical treatment of CM is predominantly limited to the triazole and polyene drug classes. There are limited therapeutic options for the treatment of CM, most commonly requiring prolonged courses of therapy with established antifungal agents such as azoles and Amphotericin B, which often lead to toxicity and drug resistance. Clearly, there is a need to develop novel and better antifungal drugs against CM. This review examines both repurposed and recently discovered compounds in various stages of development for the treatment of CM.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	875
Journal	Journal of Fungi
Volume	11
Issue number	12
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3390/jof11120875
State	Published - Dec 2025

Keywords

Coccidioides
amphotericin B
antifungal drugs
coccidioidomycosis
drug resistance
fluconazole
valley fever

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
Plant Science
Microbiology (medical)

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10.3390/jof11120875

Cite this

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title = "Drug Discovery and Repurposing for Coccidioides: A Systematic Review",

abstract = "Coccidioides immitis and C. posadasii are the causative agents of coccidioidomycosis (CM) or Valley Fever, endemic to the alkaline deserts of North and South America. Clinical treatment of CM is predominantly limited to the triazole and polyene drug classes. There are limited therapeutic options for the treatment of CM, most commonly requiring prolonged courses of therapy with established antifungal agents such as azoles and Amphotericin B, which often lead to toxicity and drug resistance. Clearly, there is a need to develop novel and better antifungal drugs against CM. This review examines both repurposed and recently discovered compounds in various stages of development for the treatment of CM.",

keywords = "Coccidioides, amphotericin B, antifungal drugs, coccidioidomycosis, drug resistance, fluconazole, valley fever",

author = "Sarah Saeger and Sofia Lozano and Nathan Wiederhold and Yu, \{Jieh Juen\} and Lopez-Ribot, \{Jose L.\} and Hung, \{Chiung Yu\}",

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doi = "10.3390/jof11120875",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "11",

journal = "Journal of Fungi",

issn = "2309-608X",

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T2 - A Systematic Review

AU - Saeger, Sarah

AU - Lozano, Sofia

AU - Wiederhold, Nathan

AU - Yu, Jieh Juen

AU - Lopez-Ribot, Jose L.

AU - Hung, Chiung Yu

PY - 2025/12

Y1 - 2025/12

N2 - Coccidioides immitis and C. posadasii are the causative agents of coccidioidomycosis (CM) or Valley Fever, endemic to the alkaline deserts of North and South America. Clinical treatment of CM is predominantly limited to the triazole and polyene drug classes. There are limited therapeutic options for the treatment of CM, most commonly requiring prolonged courses of therapy with established antifungal agents such as azoles and Amphotericin B, which often lead to toxicity and drug resistance. Clearly, there is a need to develop novel and better antifungal drugs against CM. This review examines both repurposed and recently discovered compounds in various stages of development for the treatment of CM.

AB - Coccidioides immitis and C. posadasii are the causative agents of coccidioidomycosis (CM) or Valley Fever, endemic to the alkaline deserts of North and South America. Clinical treatment of CM is predominantly limited to the triazole and polyene drug classes. There are limited therapeutic options for the treatment of CM, most commonly requiring prolonged courses of therapy with established antifungal agents such as azoles and Amphotericin B, which often lead to toxicity and drug resistance. Clearly, there is a need to develop novel and better antifungal drugs against CM. This review examines both repurposed and recently discovered compounds in various stages of development for the treatment of CM.

KW - Coccidioides

KW - amphotericin B

KW - antifungal drugs

KW - coccidioidomycosis

KW - drug resistance

KW - fluconazole

KW - valley fever

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105025933172

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105025933172#tab=citedBy

U2 - 10.3390/jof11120875

DO - 10.3390/jof11120875

M3 - Review article

C2 - 41440700

AN - SCOPUS:105025933172

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VL - 11

JO - Journal of Fungi

JF - Journal of Fungi

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M1 - 875

ER -

Drug Discovery and Repurposing for Coccidioides: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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