title: The role of micafungin and anidulafungin in the treatment of systemic fungal infections: applications and patents for two novel echinocandins.
abstract: Fungal infections are becoming an increasing menace in the hospital care setting. Among them, non-albicans Candida species have gained significant attention. Especially in the ICU setting, therapeutic options are limited in many cases by the side-effects of conventional antifungal therapy. Echinocandins are a relatively new class of antifungal agents that promise good effectiveness against Candida and Aspergillus species. Due to their underlying mechanisms of action, they yield good tolerability and few limitations of usage. In the current manuscript we describe the patents of two recently approved echinocandins, micafungin (US approved 2005) and anidulafungin (2006) and provide an overview of the mechanisms, clinical effectiveness and safety of antifungal therapy with these agents.
authors: Department of Anaesthesiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany.
authors: Ludwig Christian G
authors: LC
authors: Hinske
authors: Florian
authors: F
authors: Weis
authors: Jens
authors: J
authors: Heyn
authors: Patricia
authors: P
authors: Hinske
authors: Andres
authors: A
authors: Beiras-Fernandez
mesh_terms: D000077612:Anidulafungin; D000818:Animals; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001230:Aspergillus / Q000187:drug effects; D002175:Candida / Q000187:drug effects; D054714:Echinocandins / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D055666:Lipopeptides / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000077551:Micafungin; D010330:Patents as Topic
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D054714:Echinocandins; D055666:Lipopeptides; D000077612:Anidulafungin; D000077551:Micafungin