Congratulations to the Chair of the Department of Pediatrics, Bill Steinbach, M.D., for receiving a new NIH R01 award. The seven-year multicenter study, “Short Course Versus Standard Course Antifungal Therapy for Pediatric Candidemia,” is been funded by the National Institutes of Health/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for $9,705,533. This is a multi-PI grant award that Dr. Steinbach will co-lead with his colleague Brian Fisher, DO, MSCE, MPH, of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
Invasive candidiasis is the most common form of aggressive fungal disease. The trial seeks to determine if seven days of therapy is comparable to 14 days for pediatric uncomplicated candidemia and if a molecular biomarker can provide supportive data for short-course therapy.
This study is run by the International Pediatric Fungal Network, a 55-site international research consortium Dr. Steinbach founded and directs, and now the coordinating center is housed at ACRI. The project is a major undertaking involving coordinating approximately 45 sites across the US and internationally at its peak.