Determination of MICs of aminocandin for Candida spp. and filamentous fungi

Candida and Aspergillus spp., as well as other filamentous molds, have increasingly been reported as the causes of severe invasive fungal infections. We evaluated the new echinocandin aminocandin (AMN) for its antifungal activities against a range of fungal pathogens by determination of the MICs for the organisms. The MICs of the comparator drugs amphotericin B, caspofungin, micafungin, and voriconazole were also determined. The MICs of AMN for 25 strains each of non-Candida albicans Candida spp. (including Candida parapsilosis, Candida krusei, Candida guilliermondii, and Candida tropicalis), Aspergillus fumigatus, Scedosporium spp., Fusarium spp., and zygomycetes (including Absidia, Mucor, and Rhizopus spp.) were determined by using the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute M27-A2 and M38-A methodologies for yeasts and filamentous molds, respectively. The MIC ranges of AMN for all yeasts were similar (0.03 to 4.0 mu g/ml), while the MIC ranges of AMN for filamentous fungi were species specific. AMN demonstrated potent antifungal activity against A. fumigatus, limited activity against Scedosporium spp., and no activity against zygomycetes or Fusarium spp. Our data showed that AMN demonstrated potent antifungal activities against all of the yeasts and Aspergillus isolates tested, suggesting that AMN could be an important addition to our arsenal of antifungals for the treatment of invasive fungal disease.