Micafungin

Micafungin, also known as FK463, is a polyene antifungal medication used to treat and prevent invasive fungal infections including candidemia, abscesses and esophageal candidiasis. It inhibits the production of beta-1, 3-glucan, an essential component of fungal cell walls. It received final approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on March 16, 2005. Micafungin works by way of concentration-dependent inhibition of 1, 3-beta-D-glucan synthase resulting in reduced formation of 1, 3-beta-D-glucan, which is an essential polysaccharide comprising one-third of the majority of Candida spp. cell walls. This decreased glucan production leads to osmotic instability and thus cellular lysis.