Shorter antifungal treatment for kids with candidemia
Official title: Short Course Versus Standard Course Antifungal Therapy for Pediatric Candidemia: A Multi-Center Randomized Controlled Trial
Funded at Arkansas Children's Hospital Res Inst · NIH-11606505 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study tests whether children with candidemia can finish treatment after 7 days of an echinocandin if they are improving, instead of completing a full 14 days.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Arkansas Children's Hospital Res Inst NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Little Rock, United States) |
| Project start | August 5, 2022 |
| Project end | July 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $25,000 |
| NIH project number | 3R01AI170385-05S3 |
| Project ID | NIH-11606505 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are children with invasive candidiasis who show rapid improvement on initial echinocandin therapy and have clearance of bloodstream infection.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who do not rapidly respond to initial therapy or have complicated infection beyond uncomplicated candidemia may not benefit from shorter therapy.
What this research studies
Pediatric patients with invasive candidiasis often present as uncomplicated candidemia and respond quickly to initial echinocandin therapy. This multi-center randomized trial will compare a shorter total course of antifungal therapy to the standard 14-day approach after an initial 7 days, aiming to determine if 7 additional days are necessary. By enrolling children who show clinical improvement and culture clearance, researchers will assess outcomes such as recovery, relapse, and safety. If shorter therapy is proven effective, it could reduce exposure to medications, hospital stay days, and healthcare costs for families. The study is led by William J. Steinbach at Arkansas Children’s Hospital Research Institute and involves multiple participating centers.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, children with candidemia could receive fewer days of antifungal treatment without compromising outcomes, reducing side effects and overall burden.
How similar studies have gone: Previous adult trials and pediatric observational data support shorter courses in other infections, but this is among the first focused randomized comparisons for pediatric fungal disease.
Where this research is happening
-
Arkansas Children's Hospital Res Inst
Little Rock, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Steinbach, William J — Arkansas Children's Hospital Res Inst
- Study coordinator: Steinbach, William J
Related research
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Shorter antifungal treatment for kids with candidemia
A multi-center pediatric trial tests whether a shorter, 7 extra days of antifungal therapy after an initial 7 days is just as good as the standard 14-day approach for kids with candidemia who are improving on echinocandin therapy.
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Short Course vs Standard Course Antifungal Therapy for Pediatric Candidemia
This study tests whether a shorter 7-day total antifungal treatment after an initial 7 days of echinocandin therapy is as effective as the usual 14-day course for children with candidemia.
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Shorter antifungal treatment for kids with candidemia
A multi-center study tests whether kids with candidemia can finish treatment earlier after an initial week of antifungal therapy than the standard two weeks total.
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Shorter antifungal course for kids with candidemia
A multi-center study tests whether 7 extra days of antifungal therapy after an initial week of treatment can be shortened safely for children with candidemia.
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Shortened antifungal treatment for kids with candidemia
A pediatric multicenter trial will test whether stopping antifungal therapy after 7 more days, following an initial 7 days of treatment, isas safe as continuing for 14 days.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.