Micafungin

Abstract

Micafungin, an echinocandin antifungal agent with a novel mechanism of action, inhibits beta-(1,3)-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%).