From the Guidelines
Micafungin covers a broad spectrum of fungal pathogens, primarily Candida species, including Candida albicans, Candida glabrata, Candida tropicalis, Candida krusei, and Candida parapsilosis. According to the 2016 update by the Infectious Diseases Society of America 1, micafungin is recommended as initial therapy for candidemia in neutropenic patients, with a dosage of 100 mg daily. The evidence suggests that micafungin has strong activity against most Candida species, making it a suitable option for treating candidemia.
Some key points about micafungin's coverage include:
- Effective against Candida albicans, Candida glabrata, Candida tropicalis, Candida krusei, and Candida parapsilosis
- Recommended as initial therapy for candidemia in neutropenic patients 1
- Dosage of 100 mg daily for adults
- Works by inhibiting the synthesis of 1,3-β-D-glucan, an essential component of the fungal cell wall, causing osmotic instability and cell death.
It's worth noting that while micafungin has a broad spectrum of activity against Candida species, its activity against other fungal pathogens, such as Aspergillus, is not as well-defined in the provided evidence 1. However, based on the available data, micafungin is a suitable option for treating candidemia in neutropenic patients, particularly those with Candida species infections.
From the FDA Drug Label
Micafungin has been shown to be active against most isolates of the following Candida species, both in vitro and in clinical infections: Candida albicans Candida glabrata Candida guilliermondii Candida krusei Candida parapsilosis Candida tropicalis
Micafungin covers Candida species, including Candida albicans, Candida glabrata, Candida guilliermondii, Candida krusei, Candida parapsilosis, and Candida tropicalis. The spectrum of fungal pathogens that micafungin covers is primarily limited to Candida species. 2
From the Research
Spectrum of Fungal Pathogens Covered by Micafungin
- Micafungin has a broad spectrum of in vitro activity against clinically relevant isolates of Candida spp., including fluconazole-resistant Candida glabrata isolates 3.
- It is effective against various Candida species, such as:
- Candida albicans
- Candida tropicalis
- Candida glabrata
- Candida parapsilosis
- Candida krusei
- Micafungin also shows potent antifungal activity against Aspergillus species, with a MIC range of 0.004 to 0.015 μg/ml 4.
- The efficacy of micafungin is comparable to other antifungal agents, such as caspofungin and liposomal amphotericin B, in treating invasive candidiasis caused by different Candida species 5.
- Micafungin has been shown to be effective in vivo against Candida tropicalis, even against strains resistant to amphotericin B and fluconazole 6.
- Micafungin's broad spectrum of activity makes it an important option for the prophylaxis and treatment of invasive Candida infections in both pediatric and adult patients 3, 7.