Anidulafungin

Anidulafungin or Eraxis is an anti-fungal drug manufactured by Pfizer that gained approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in February 21, 2006 ; it was previously known as LY303366. There is preliminary evidence that it has a similar safety profile to caspofungin. It has proven efficacy against oesophageal candidiasis, but its main utility will probably be in invasive Candida infection; it will probably also have application in treating invasive Aspergillus infection. It is a member of the class of anti-fungal drugs known as the echinocandins: its mechanism of action is by inhibition of (1→3)β-D-glucan synthase, which is an important component of the fungal cell wall.