Caspofungin: the first agent available in the echinocandin class of antifungals.

Caspofungin acetate (Cancidas, MK-0991, L-743,872) is a parenteral antifungal agent indicated in the treatment of invasive aspergillosis in patients who are intolerant of or whose infection is refractory to other antifungal therapies. It is the first member of a novel class of antifungals, the echinocandins, to be made available in the USA. As a class, the echinocandins possess a mechanism of action that is distinct from those of the polyenes, azoles, allylamines, or flucytosine. Echinocandins inhibit synthesis of β-(1,3)-D-glucan, a component of fungal cell walls (1).