Echinocandins represent the newest class of antifungal agents. Currently, three echinocandins, anidulafungin, caspofungin and micafungin are licensed for clinical use in various indications. They act as inhibitors of β-(1,3)-glucan synthesis in the fungal cell wall and have a favorable pharmacological profile. They have a broad spectrum of activity against all Candida species. Higher MIC's have...

The echinocandins are large lipopeptide molecules that are inhibitors of beta-(1,3)-glucan synthesis, an action that damages fungal cell walls. In vitro and in vivo, the echinocandins are rapidly fungicidal against most Candida spp and fungistatic against Aspergillus spp. They are not active at clinically relevant concentrations against Zygomycetes, Cryptococcus neoformans, or Fusarium spp. No ...

The echinocandins (ECs), caspofungin (CA), micafungin (MI), anidulafungin (AD), and aminocandin (AM) are the newest class of parenterally administered antifungal agents. This review will discuss their general properties, current indications, and available pediatric data. ECs are semisynthetic cyclic lipopeptides which inhibit cell wall biosynthesis through noncompetitive inhibition of the (133)...

Echinocandins have made a significant impact in the treatment of select invasive fungal infections, most notably invasive candidiasis and aspergillosis. However, treatment outcomes for such infections are still less than optimal, prompting an examination of dosing and administration techniques in an attempt to exploit known pharmacodynamic properties and improve outcomes. Echinocandins generall...

BACKGROUND The echinocandins are lipopeptides that can be employed as antifungal drugs that inhibit the synthesis of 1,3-β-glucans within the fungal cell wall. Anidulafungin and caspofungin are echinocandins used in the treatment of Candida infections and have activity against other fungi including Aspergillus fumigatus. The echinocandins are generally considered fungistatic against Aspergillus...

Anidulafungin, micafungin, and caspofungin in vitro activities against Candida metapsilosis, C. orthopsilosis, and C. parapsilosis were evaluated by MICs and time-kill methods. All echinocandins showed lower MICs (mean MICs, 0.05 to 0.71 mg/liter) and the highest killing rates (-0.06 to -0.05 CFU/ml/h) for C. metapsilosis and C. orthopsilosis rather than for C. parapsilosis (mean MICs, 0.59 to ...

The classic recommended antifungal agents for the treatment of invasive Candida infections were amphotericin B, a lipid formulation of amphotericin B and fluconazole in both neutropenic or nonneutropenic patients as either primary or alternative therapies. Voriconazole has been recommended when additional coverage for filamentous fungi is needed (e.g. neutropenic patients). More recently and ba...

The activity of CD101 and comparator antifungal agents against 606 invasive fungal isolates collected worldwide during 2014 was evaluated using the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) method. All Candida albicans (n = 251), Candida tropicalis (n = 51), Candida krusei (n = 16), and Candida dubliniensis (n = 11) isolates were inhibited by ≤0.12 μg/ml of CD101 and were susceptible o...