caspofungin
Brand names: Cancidas
Caspofungin is an antifungal medicine. It fights fungal infections in your body.
Drug Shortage Alert
caspofungin is currently listed as to be discontinued by the FDA. Affected manufacturer: Fresenius Kabi USA, LLC.
View all drug shortages →What it does
Caspofungin treats several types of fungal infections.
Common side effects
Diarrhea, Fever, Increased liver enzyme levels
Key warnings
Caspofungin can cause serious allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis.
How It Works
Caspofungin stops fungi from growing. It does this by blocking a key part of the fungal cell wall. This causes the fungal cells to die.
How to Take It
Caspofungin is given through a vein (IV) over about 1 hour. It is usually given once a day. On the first day, you may get a higher dose called a loading dose. Do not mix caspofungin with other medicines or dextrose solutions.
Pregnancy & Breastfeeding
Caspofungin may harm your unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if caspofungin passes into breast milk, so talk to your doctor about breastfeeding while taking this medicine.
Missed Dose
Call your doctor right away if you miss a dose. They will tell you when to get your next dose.
Storage
Store caspofungin in the refrigerator between 36°F and 46°F (2°C and 8°C).
Side Effects (from patient reports)
Based on 2,366 FDA adverse event reports.
Serious Warnings
Caspofungin can cause serious allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis. If you have signs of an allergic reaction, stop taking caspofungin right away. Caspofungin can also affect your liver. Your doctor will monitor your liver function with blood tests.
Known Drug Interactions
7 DRUG INTERACTIONS Cyclosporine : In two adult clinical studies, cyclosporine (one 4 mg/kg dose or two 3 mg/kg doses) increased the AUC of caspofungin. Caspofungin did not increase the plasma levels of cyclosporine. There were transient increases in liver ALT and AST when caspofungin and cyclosporine were co-administered.
Mechanism: Cyclosporine increases the levels of caspofungin in your blood and may cause temporary stress or irritation to your liver.
What to do: Your doctor should monitor your liver function tests closely if you are taking both of these medications.
Other Inducers of Hepatic CYP Enzymes Adults : When caspofungin is co-administered to adult patients with other inducers of hepatic CYP enzymes, such as efavirenz, nevirapine, phenytoin, dexamethasone, or carbamazepine, administration of a daily dose of 70 mg of caspofungin should be considered [see Dosage and Administration ( 2.5 ) and Clinical Pharmacology ( 12.3 )] . Pediatric Patients : When caspofungin is co-administered to pediatric patients with other inducers of hepatic CYP enzymes, such as efavirenz, nevirapine, phenytoin, dexamethasone, or carbamazepine, administration of a daily ...
Mechanism: Carbamazepine causes your liver to break down caspofungin faster than usual, which can lower the amount of medicine in your body.
What to do: Your doctor may need to increase your daily dose of caspofungin to 70 mg to ensure the treatment remains effective.
Other Inducers of Hepatic CYP Enzymes Adults : When caspofungin is co-administered to adult patients with other inducers of hepatic CYP enzymes, such as efavirenz, nevirapine, phenytoin, dexamethasone, or carbamazepine, administration of a daily dose of 70 mg of caspofungin should be considered [see Dosage and Administration ( 2.5 ) and Clinical Pharmacology ( 12.3 )] . Pediatric Patients : When caspofungin is co-administered to pediatric patients with other inducers of hepatic CYP enzymes, such as efavirenz, nevirapine, phenytoin, dexamethasone, or carbamazepine, administration of a daily ...
Mechanism: Phenytoin speeds up the way your liver processes caspofungin, which may reduce the medicine's ability to fight infection.
What to do: Your healthcare provider might increase your caspofungin dose to 70 mg per day when these drugs are used together.
Other Inducers of Hepatic CYP Enzymes Adults : When caspofungin is co-administered to adult patients with other inducers of hepatic CYP enzymes, such as efavirenz, nevirapine, phenytoin, dexamethasone, or carbamazepine, administration of a daily dose of 70 mg of caspofungin should be considered [see Dosage and Administration ( 2.5 ) and Clinical Pharmacology ( 12.3 )] . Pediatric Patients : When caspofungin is co-administered to pediatric patients with other inducers of hepatic CYP enzymes, such as efavirenz, nevirapine, phenytoin, dexamethasone, or carbamazepine, administration of a daily ...
Mechanism: Dexamethasone triggers your liver to clear caspofungin from your system more quickly than it normally would.
What to do: Your doctor should consider increasing your daily caspofungin dose to 70 mg to maintain the correct level of medicine in your blood.
Telaprevir Decrease AUC by 92% Systemic Hormonal Contraceptives Prevention or Management: Advise patients to change to non-hormonal methods of birth control during rifampin therapy Estrogens Decrease exposure Progestins Anticonvulsants Phenytoin Administered with rifampin 450 mg daily Decrease exposure Antiarrhythmics Disopyramide Decrease exposure Mexiletine Decrease exposure Quinidine Decrease exposure Propafenone Decrease AUC by 50%–67% Tocainide Decrease exposure Antiestrogens Tamoxifen Decrease AUC by 86% Toremifene Decrease steady state concentrations of toremifene in serum Antithromb...
Mechanism: Rifampin increases the activity of enzymes that break down other drugs, which reduces the amount of caspofungin available to fight infection.
What to do: Your doctor may need to adjust your dose of caspofungin while you are taking rifampin to ensure it stays at a helpful level.
Common Questions
How long will I need to take caspofungin?
Can I take caspofungin with other medications?
What should I do if I experience side effects?
Will caspofungin interfere with my other health conditions?
Can caspofungin be used for viral infections?
Is there a generic version of caspofungin?
How will I know if caspofungin is working?
Can I drive or operate machinery while taking caspofungin?
What kind of solution is caspofungin mixed with?
Are there any food restrictions while taking caspofungin?
What are the common side effects of caspofungin?
Does caspofungin interact with other medications?
What drug class is caspofungin?
Is caspofungin safe during pregnancy?
Is caspofungin currently in shortage?
Related Medications in Echinocandin Antifungal
Other drugs grouped near caspofungin — same-class peers and common alternatives.
acyclovir
Zovirax
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albendazole
Albenza
Albendazole is a medicine that fights parasites.
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amphotericin B
Ambisome, Fungizone
Amphotericin B liposome is an antifungal medicine.
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anidulafungin
Eraxis
Eraxis is an antifungal medicine.
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atovaquone/proguanil
Malarone
Malarone is a drug used to prevent and treat malaria.
Compare with caspofungin →
Medication Guides
Understanding Drug Interactions
How CYP450 enzymes, inhibitors, and inducers affect your medications
Generic vs Brand Name Drugs
FDA requirements, cost savings, and when the difference matters
Narrow Therapeutic Index Drugs
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Common Drug Interactions
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What the FDA Data Shows for caspofungin
The FDA label for caspofungin (sold under brand names such as Cancidas) classifies it as a prescription-only medication in the Echinocandin Antifungal class. Caspofungin treats several types of fungal infections. Official labeling lists 7 commonly reported side effects, including Diarrhea, Fever, Increased liver enzyme levels.
Post-market surveillance from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) captures real-world experience. For this drug, FAERS contains 2,366 voluntary reports. The database also lists 6 documented drug interactions derived from FDA labeling, with the top-flagged interaction rated minor severity. Acquisition-cost data is surveyed weekly by CMS and updated as manufacturers report changes.
Report counts do not establish causation — a FAERS entry documents a temporal association, not proof that the drug produced the outcome. Widely prescribed medications naturally accumulate more reports than niche therapies, so raw totals must be interpreted alongside total exposure. Shortage status, recall history, and patent information further shape supply and switching decisions. This page summarizes public FDA data for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice — always consult a licensed healthcare provider before starting, stopping, or changing any medication.
Data Sources
Drug labeling: FDA Drug Labels (SPL/DailyMed). Adverse events: FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Shortage status: FDA Drug Shortages Database.
FAERS reports are voluntary and do not establish causation. Drug interactions are derived from FDA labeling and clinical references. Always consult a healthcare professional before making medication decisions.
Last updated: May 2, 2023
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
All federal data sources used on this page
- FDA Orange Book — approved drug products with therapeutic equivalence. accessdata.fda.gov/cder/ob
- FDA DailyMed — NIH-hosted drug labeling for FDA-approved meds. dailymed.nlm.nih.gov
- FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) — post-marketing safety surveillance. fda.gov/drugs/faers
- NLM RxNorm — standardized clinical drug nomenclature. nlm.nih.gov/research/umls/rxnorm
- CMS Medicare Part B Drug Average Sales Price Files — federal drug pricing data. cms.gov/medicare/part-b-drugs/asp
- FDA Drug Shortages Database — current and resolved drug shortage tracking. accessdata.fda.gov/drugshortages