Anidulafungin microbiology
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Ahmed Zaghw, M.D. [2]
Microbiology
Mechanism of Action
Anidulafungin is a semi-synthetic echinocandin with antifungal activity. Anidulafungin inhibits glucan synthase, an enzyme present in fungal, but not mammalian cells. This results in inhibition of the formation of 1,3-β-D-glucan, an essential component of the fungal cell wall.
Activity in vitro
Anidulafungin has been shown to be active against Candida albicans, C. glabrata, C. parapsilosis, and C. tropicalis both in vitro and in clinical infections as described in Indications and Usage. Because of the potential for reduced susceptibility to anidulafungin, it is recommended that susceptibility be determined by a standardized method.
Anidulafungin minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were determined for isolates of Candida spp. obtained during clinical studies using a standardized method. However, no correlation between in vitro activity as determined by this method and clinical outcome was established.
Drug Resistance
Echinocandin resistance is due to point mutations within the genes (FKS1 and FKS2) encoding for subunits in the glucan synthase enzyme complex. There have been reports of Candida isolates with reduced susceptibility to anidulafungin, suggesting a potential for development of drug resistance. The clinical significance of this observation is not fully understood.[1]
References
Adapted from the FDA Package Insert.