Caspofungin (DB00520): A Comprehensive Monograph on a First-in-Class Echinocandin Antifungal

Introduction

The Emergence of a New Antifungal Class

Caspofungin represents a landmark achievement in the field of infectious disease therapeutics, emerging as the first clinically approved member of the echinocandin class of antifungal agents.[1] Its introduction in 2001 by Merck & Co., Inc. marked the arrival of the first new class of antifungal drugs in several decades, addressing a critical and expanding unmet medical need.[4] The late 20th century witnessed a dramatic increase in the incidence and diversity of invasive fungal infections (IFIs), a trend driven by the growing population of immunocompromised and vulnerable patients. The convergence of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, the intensification of anticancer chemotherapy regimens, the expansion of solid organ and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, and the increased use of invasive medical devices created a large patient cohort with profound susceptibility to opportunistic fungal pathogens.[6]