Micafungin vs. Caspofungin for Invasive Candidiasis

In developed countries, invasive Candida infections, especially candidemia, are important causes of healthcare-associated morbidity and mortality. Although three echinocandins have been approved for treating such infections, the safety and efficacy of these drugs have never been compared in a clinical trial.

Now, in an industry-supported, multinational, randomized, double-blind trial, researchers have compared micafungin (100 or 150 mg daily) with the standard dose of caspofungin (50 mg daily after a loading dose of 70 mg), all intravenously administered, in adults with invasive candidiasis. Treatment was encouraged for ≥14 days, but switching to oral fluconazole was permitted after 10 days if certain criteria were met. Patients were exclude…