- CANCIDAS 50 mg (n=81) demonstrated efficacy comparable to fluconazole 200 mg (n = 94) as measured by the following:
- Overall response (81.5% vs 85.1%, respectively)
- Symptom response (90.1% vs 89.4%, respectively)
- Endoscopic response (85.2% vs 86.2%, respectively)
- CANCIDAS was associated with favorable outcomes in 7 of 10 esophageal C albicans infections refractory to at least 200 mg of fluconazole given for 7 days, although the in vitro susceptibility of the infecting isolates to fluconazole was not known.
Additionally:
- No statistical difference in esophageal candidiasis relapse rates was observed between CANCIDAS (28.1%) and fluconazole (16.7%) at Day 28 posttreatment.
- Relapse with oropharyngeal candidiasis in patients (most with advanced AIDS) treated with CANCIDAS was significantly more common than in patients treated with fluconazole.
- As a result, suppressive oral therapy could be considered after completion of therapy with CANCIDAS.
References
7.
Villanueva A, Gotuzzo E, Arathoon EG, et al. A randomized double-blind study of caspofungin versus fluconazole for the treatment of esophageal candidiasis. Am J Med. 2002;113:294–299.
- CANCIDAS is contraindicated in patients with hypersensitivity to any component of this product.
- Drug-related clinical adverse events with an incidence of >2% reported in patients treated with CANCIDAS (n=83) in the randomized double-blind study of esophageal candidiasis were phlebitis/thrombophlebitis (15.7%), infused-vein complication (12.0%), nausea (6.0%), headache (6.0%), fever (3.6%), abdominal pain (3.6%), and diarrhea (3.6%).
Before prescribing CANCIDAS, please read the Prescribing Information.
