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Drugs
Published in: Drugs 9/2004

01-05-2004 | Adis Drug Profile

Micafungin

Authors: Blair Jarvis, David P. Figgitt, Lesley J. Scott

Published in: Drugs | Issue 9/2004

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Abstract

  • ▴ Micafungin, an echinocandin antifungal agent with a novel mechanism of action, inhibits β-(l,3)-D-glucan synthase interfering with fungal cell wall synthesis. It shows excellent antifungal activity against a broad range of Candida spp., including azole-resistant strains, and Aspergillus spp. in in vitro and animal studies.
  • ▴ In HIV-positive patients, intravenous micafungin 50–150 mg/day dose-dependently eradicated endoscopically confirmed oesophageal candidiasis, with micafungin 100 and 150 mg/day being more effective than micafungin 50 mg/day and as effective as fluconazole 200 mg/day in a double-blind trial.
  • ▴ In nonblind trials, micafungin (monotherapy or combination therapy) was effective against invasive aspergillosis, candidiasis and candidaemia in paediatric and adult patients with newly diagnosed or refractory infections.
  • ▴ Micafungin 50 mg/day provided significantly better antifungal prophylaxis than fluconazole 400 mg/ day in 882 haematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients in a randomised, double-blind trial. Respective overall success rates were 80% and 73.5%.
  • ▴ Micafungin is generally well tolerated. Adverse events were not dose- or infusion-related with micafungin 12.5–900 mg/day; no histamine-like reactions occurred. Micafungin was as well tolerated as fluconazole, with numerically fewer micafungin recipients discontinuing treatment (4.2% vs 7.2%).
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Metadata
Title
Micafungin
Authors
Blair Jarvis
David P. Figgitt
Lesley J. Scott
Publication date
01-05-2004
Publisher
Springer International Publishing
Published in
Drugs / Issue 9/2004
Print ISSN: 0012-6667
Electronic ISSN: 1179-1950
DOI
https://doi.org/10.2165/00003495-200464090-00004

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