Rezafungin: a novel antifungal for the treatment of invasive candidiasis

Abstract

Rezafungin is a novel echinocandin with exceptional stability and solubility and a uniquely long half-life allowing for front-loaded drug exposure with once-weekly dosing. Rezafungin has been shown comparable to other echinocandins, with activity against Candida spp. and Aspergillus spp. including subsets of echinocandin-resistant Candida auris and azole-resistant Aspergillus isolates. Available clinical data show robust safety and promising efficacy. Phase III trials will provide data on efficacy of rezafungin for the treatment of candidemia and invasive candidiasis and for the prevention of invasive fungal disease in blood and bone marrow transplant recipients. Rezafungin is a promising new candidate in the antifungal arsenal that opens up clinical possibilities based on its impressive half-life, such as early hospital discharge for stable patients and use as prophylaxis in immunocompromised patients.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03667690 NCT04368559.

Keywords: candidemia; echinocandins; rezafungin; systemic antifungal therapy.