Anidulafungin, a new echinocandin and its role in the management of invasive Candida infections
Abstract number: 10.1111/j.1198-743X.2004.902_s311.x
Anidulafungin is a novel echinocandin that has demonstrated potency in vitro and in vivo against medically significant fungi, including Candida and Aspergillus (1). Consistent with its mechanism of action, anidulafungin is fungicidal for Candida spp. and there is no cross-resistance with older classes of antifungal agents (e.g. azoles, polyenes) that have different molecular targets. Isolates of Candida that are resistant to azoles or amphotericin B exhibit no cross-resistance to anidulafungin. To date, resistance to anidulafungin has not been detected in vitro, in animal infection models, or in the clinic. Pharmacokinetic (PK) studies indicate that anidulafungin has predictable PK. The half-life in humans and most animal species is 1 day, which allows for once-daily dosing in the clinic. PK data also show that anidulafungin dosage adjustments are not required for adult patients on the basis of age, weight, gender, race/ethnicity, hepatic or renal impairment (including haemodialysis), or concomitant medications. Clinical studies of anidulafungin are evaluating its safety and efficacy in the treatment of patients with oesophageal candidiasis, candidemia, and other forms of invasive candidiasis, azole-refractory mucosal candidiasis, as well as invasive apergillosis. This antifungal has proven to be highly effective in eradicating Candida spp. in clinical studies of oesophageal candidiasis and invasive candidiasis/candidemia. Anidulafungin was well tolerated by patients in a large comparative phase 3 oesophageal candidiasis study and a phase 2 invasive candidiasis study. Results of a phase 1 drugdrug interaction study demonstrate that the combination of anidulafungin and cyclosporin A may be administered safely and may not require dosage adjustment of either drug (2).
|Session name:||XXIst ISTH Congress|
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