Caspofungin

Available systemically effective antifungal agents for the treatment of invasive fungal infections are few. With the increasing recognition of a need for newer antifungal drugs, caspofungin has been introduced as the first member of a new class of compounds called echinocandins. This paper reviews the chemistry and mechanism of action of caspofungin, its activity in vitro and in animal models, and clinical pharmacokinetics,clinical efficacy and safety in patients.