Caspofungin use in patients with invasive candidiasis caused by common non-albicans Candida species: review of the caspofungin database.

Increasing rates of invasive candidiasis caused by non-albicans Candida species have been reported worldwide. Particular concerns have been raised for C. parapsilosis because of reduced in vitro susceptibility to echinocandins.

Safety experience with caspofungin in pediatric patients.

We analyzed the caspofungin safety experience in 5 clinical registration studies in 171 pediatric patients, 1 week to 17 years of age. Caspofungin was administered for 1 to 87 (mean 12.1) days.

Pharmacokinetics and safety of caspofungin in older infants and toddlers.

Although information about the efficacy and safety experience with caspofungin at 50 mg/m(2) daily is available for children and adolescents, the dosing regimen in infants and toddlers 3 to 24 months of age has yet to be established. We studied the pharmacokinetics and safety of caspofungin at 50 mg/m(2) once daily in nine patients 10 to 22 months (median, 13 months) of age with fever and neutropenia who received caspofungin once daily for 2 to 21 (mean, 9.3) days.

Pharmacokinetics and safety of caspofungin in neonates and infants less than 3 months of age.

Candida infections represent a major threat in neonatal intensive care units. This is the first prospective study to obtain caspofungin plasma levels and safety data for neonates and very young infants. Patients of <3 months of age receiving intravenous amphotericin B for documented or highly suspected candidiasis were enrolled in a single-dose (n = 6) or subsequent multiple-dose (n = 12) panel; all received caspofungin at 25 mg/m(2) once daily as a 1-hour infusion.

Caspofungin in the treatment of symptomatic candiduria.

Background: Because the urine concentrations achieved by echinocandin antifungal agents are low, drugs from this class are excluded from consideration when candiduria treatment is selected.

Methods: We performed a retrospective view (sponsored by Merck Research Laboratories) of case records of patients participating in phase II-III clinical studies of caspofungin to identify patients with candiduria.

Results: Of 12 case records collected by Merck Research Laboratories, 6 met the criteria for significant candiduria, allowing the evaluation of caspofungin therapy as judged by J.

Pharmacokinetics, safety, and tolerability of caspofungin in children and adolescents.

Caspofungin is a parenteral antifungal that inhibits beta-1,3-D-glucan synthesis. Although licensed for adult use, the appropriate caspofungin dosing regimen in pediatric patients is not yet known. We therefore investigated the pharmacokinetics and safety of caspofungin in pediatric patients.