Antifungal agents and uses thereof

1. A compound described by formula (Ib):

wherein,

R 1 is O(CH 2 CH 2 O) n CH 2 CH 2 X 1 , O(CH 2 CH 2 CH 2 O) n CH 2 CH 2 X 1 , NHCH 2 CH 2 X 2 , NH(CH 2 CH 2 O) m CH 2 CH 2 X 2 , NH(CH 2 CH 2 CH 2 O) m CH 2 CH 2 X 2 , NH(CH 2 CH 2 O) p CH 2 CH 2 X 3 , NH(CH 2 CH 2 CH 2 O) p CH 2 CH 2 X 3 , NHCH 2 CH 2 X 4 , NH[CH 2 (CH 2 ) a O] b CH{CH 2 [OCH 2 (CH 2 ) c ] d X 5 } 2 , O[CH 2 (CH 2 ) a O] b CH{CH 2 [OCH 2 (CH 2 ) c ] d X 5 } 2 , NH(CH 2 CH 2 NH) r CH 2 CH 2 X 5 , NHCH 2 (CH 2 ) q X 6 , or OCH 2 (CH 2 ) q X 6 ;

R T is n-pentyl, sec-pentyl, or iso-pentyl;

X 1 is NHCH 2 (CH 2 ) v Z 1 ;

X 2 is OCH 2 (CH 2 ) v Z 1 ;

X 3 is NHCH 2 (CH 2 ) v Z 1 ;

X 4 is NHCH 2 (CH 2 ) v Z 1 ;

each X 5 is, independently, selected from OCH 2 (CH 2 ) v Z 1 and NHCH 2 (CH 2 ) v Z 1 ;

X 6 is Z 1 ;

a is an integer from 1 to 2;

b is an integer from 0 to 3;

c is an integer from 1 to 2;

d is an integer from 0 to 3;

n is an integer from 1 to 5;

m is an integer from 1 to 5;

p is an integer from 1 to 5;

r is an integer from 1 to 5;

q is an integer from 1 to 3;

v is an integer from 1 to 3;

Z 1 is selected from:

and each of R 1A , R 2A , R 3A , R 4A , R 5A , R 6A , R 7A , R 8A , R 9A , R 10A , R 11A , R 12A , R 13A , R 14A , R 15A , R 16A , R 18A , R 19A , R 20A , R 21A , and R 22A is, independently, selected from H, CH 3 , CH 2 CH 3 , CH 2 CH 2 CH 3 , and CH(CH 3 ) 2 ,

or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.

2. A pharmaceutical composition comprising a compound of claim 1 , or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, and a pharmaceutically acceptable excipient.

3. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 2 comprising the acetate salt or chloride salt of a compound of claim 1 .

4. A method of treating a fungal infection in a subject, said method comprising administering to said subject a pharmaceutical composition of claim 2 in an amount sufficient to treat said infection.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein said pharmaceutical composition is administered intravenously.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein said pharmaceutical composition is administered topically.

7. The method of claim 4 , wherein said pharmaceutical composition is administered to treat a blood stream infection or tissue infection in said subject.

8. The method of claim 4 , wherein said infection is selected from tinea capitis, tinea corporis, tinea pedis, onychomycosis, perionychomycosis, pityriasis versicolor, oral thrush, vaginal candidosis, respiratory tract candidosis, biliary candidosis, eosophageal candidosis, urinary tract candidosis, systemic candidosis, mucocutaneous candidosis, aspergillosis, mucormycosis, paracoccidioidomycosis, North American blastomycosis, histoplasmosis, coccidioidomycosis, sporotrichosis, fungal sinusitis, or chronic sinusitis.

9. The method of claim 4 , wherein wherein said fungal infection is an infection of Candida albicans, C. parapsilosis, C. glabrata, C. guilliermondii, C. krusei, C. tropicalis, C. lusitaniae, Aspergillus fumigatus, A. flavus, A. terreus, A. niger, A. candidus, A. clavatus , or A. ochraceus.

10. A method of preventing a fungal infection in a subject, said method comprising administering to said subject a pharmaceutical composition of claim 2 in an amount sufficient to prevent said infection.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein said pharmaceutical composition is administered intravenously.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein said subject is being prepared for an invasive medical procedure, said subject is immunocompromised, or said subject is undergoing long term antibiotic therapy.

13. A method of preventing, stabilizing, or inhibiting the growth of fungi, or killing fungi, said method comprising contacting said fungi or a site susceptible to fungal growth with a compound of claim 1 , or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.