Efficacy of SCH39304 and fluconazole in a murine model of disseminated coccidioidomycosis

The efficacies of SCH39304 (SCH) and fluconazole (FLU) were tested in a murine model of coccidioidomycosis. CD-1 mice were infected with Coccidioides immitis and dosed with SCH at 2, 10, 25, or 50 mg/kg per day or FLU at 10 or 100 mg/kg per day. Survival was enhanced (P less than 0.001) by both drugs at all doses. Residual burdens of C. immitis in the organs of mice treated with SCH at 25 or 50 mg/kg per day were lower than in mice treated with FLU at 100 mg/kg per day (P less than 0.001). These results indicate that SCH is an effective therapy for coccidioidomycosis and is superior to FLU in this comparison.