Sporanox is an antifungal medication that is used to fight back against fungus in your lungs, mouth, throat, toenails, or fingernails. Find out everything you need to know about Sporanox in our review.
What is Sporanox?
Sporanox is a prescription drug that can be given orally or intravenously to treat fungal infections. Also known under the generic name itraconazole, the drug was invented in 1984 and is typically prescribed to patients with fungal infections in their lungs, mouth, throat, toenails, or fingernails.
Typically, you’ll take Sporanox in the form of large blue capsules with blue pellets inside. Each capsule contains 100mg of the formula.
Sporanox is the most common brand name for itraconazole. It was produced by Janssen Pharmaceutica, which is a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson.
Sporanox is easy to spot because it has a complex three-layered blue capsule. The ingredients inside the capsule are split up because itraconazole is insoluble and sensitive to pH. The capsule itself is quite large, and many patients have difficulty swallowing it.
You can also purchase Sporanox in the form of an oral solution, in which case you swallow a liquid solution twice daily according to your doctor’s prescription.
If you’re taking Sporanox to treat fungal infections in the United States, then you are most likely going to take it orally via capsule or liquid form. The intravenous form of Sporanox is no longer available in the United States as of 2007 (although it’s still used in other countries).
How Does It Work?
Fungal infections can develop all across your body. However, if your immune system is compromised (like if you’re undergoing chemotherapy or have HIV/AIDS) then you may develop fungal infections inside your body – in which case you may need to take medication like Sporanox.
Sporanox essentially works by killing yeast and fungi. You take the pill (or liquid medicine) once or twice daily according to your doctor’s instructions.
The medicine goes to work inside your body, killing yeast and fungi without harming other parts of your body.
Scientifically speaking, Sporanox works in a similar way to other azole antifungals. It inhibits the fungal-mediated synthesis of ergosterol by inhibiting 14-alpha-demethylase. One thing that makes Sporanox unique from other azole antifungals is its ability to inhibit both the hedgehog signaling pathway (yes, that’s a real thing) as well as angiogenesis.
Anti-Cancer Properties of Sporanox
Some believe that itraconazole and Sporanox have anti-cancer properties. The drug has been investigated as an anti-cancer agent.
In one small clinical trial, researchers found that patient survival rates increased when itraconazole was added to pemetrexed. Patients who only received pemetrexed in this study survived for a median length of 8 months, while those who took pemetrexed combined with itraconazole survived for a median of 32 months.
You can view that study here.
Side Effects of Sporanox
In general, Sporanox and itraconazole are well-tolerated. However, like most prescription medication, there are some serious side effects you should be aware of, including:
-4% of Sporanox users will experienced elevated alanine aminotransferase levels
-There’s a “small but real risk” of developing congestive heart failure after taking Sporanox
-Liver failure, which can sometimes be fatal
These side effects are similar to other azole antifungals.
Meanwhile, you often take Sporanox by mixing it with a syrup preparation that uses cyclodextrin. Cyclodextrin comes with its own side effects, including nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, fatigue, loss of appetite, yellow skin (jaundice), yellow eyes, itching, dark urine, pale stool, and headache.o
Sporanox Pricing
GoodRX.com reports that Sporanox is typically priced between $118 and $500 at various retailers. You can get it from all pharmacies across the United States.
Talk to your doctor to find out if Sporanox is the right treatment method for your fungal infection.
