The echinocandin micafungin: a review of the pharmacology, spectrum of activity, clinical efficacy and safety

Abstract

Micafungin is a relatively broad-spectrum antifungal agent available for clinical use in the US and Japan. By inhibiting the production of β-1,3-glucan, an essential fungal cell wall component, micafungin has reduced toxicity to mammalian cells while maintaining potent antifungal activity against many pathogenic fungi including polyene- and azole-resistant isolates. Indeed, micafungin has been shown to be efficacious in the treatment of infections caused by Candida and Aspergillus species in clinical trials without the associated toxicities of amphotericin B formulations and drug interactions that occur with the azoles. In this review, the pharmacology, spectrum of activity, clinical efficacy and safety profile of micafungin are discussed.

Keywords::

• Aspergillus
• Candida
• echinocandin
• invasive aspergillosis
• invasive candidiasis
• micafungin

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