Caspofungin: uses, dosing, side effects & brands
Caspofungin is an echinocandin antifungal sold in the U.S. under 2 brand and generic names, for aspergillosis and candidemia. Below: what the FDA label says, every product that contains it, what the pills look like, and its recall record.
Key facts
- Drug class
- Echinocandin Antifungal
- Treats
- Aspergillosis and Candidemia
- Available as
- Injectable
- Sold as
- 2 products — Cancidas and Caspofungin Acetate
- Prescription?
- Prescription only
- Generic available?
- Yes
How caspofungin is dosed
From the FDA label for Cancidas (application NDA021227). Other caspofungin products — different forms, different strengths — are dosed differently. Follow the label for the one you were prescribed.
Important Administration Instructions for All Patients ( 2.1 ): Administer by slow intravenous (IV) infusion over approximately 1 hour. Do not administer by IV bolus administration. Do not mix or co-infuse CANCIDAS with other medications. Do not use diluents containing dextrose (α–D-glucose). Dosage in Adults [18 years of age and older] ( 2.2 ): Administer a single 70-mg loading dose on Day 1, followed by 50 mg once daily for all indications except esophageal candidiasis. For esophageal candidiasis, use 50 mg once daily with no loading dose. Dosage in Pediatric Patients [3 months to 17 years of age] ( 2.3 ): Dosing should be based on the patient's body surface area. For all indications, administer a single 70-mg/m 2 loading dose on Day 1, followed by 50 mg/m 2 once daily thereafter. Maximum loading dose and daily maintenance dose should not exceed 70 mg, regardless of the patient's calculated dose. Dosage Adjustments in Patients with Hepatic Impairment ( 2.4 ): Reduce dosage for adult patients with moderate hepatic impairment (35 mg once daily, with a 70 mg loading dose on Day 1 where appropriate). Dosage Adjustment in Patients Receiving Concomitant Inducers of Hepatic CYP Enzymes ( 2.5 ): Use 70-mg once daily dose for adult patients on rifampin. Consider dose increase to 70 mg once daily for adult patients on nevirapine, efavirenz, carbamazepine, dexamethasone, or phenytoin.…
Caspofungin side effects
The following serious adverse reactions are discussed in detail in another section of the labeling: Hypersensitivity [see Warnings and Precautions (5.1) ] Hepatic Effects [see Warnings and Precautions (5.2) ] Elevated Liver Enzymes During Concomitant Use With Cyclosporine [see Warnings and Precautions (5.3) ] Adults: Most common adverse reactions (incidence 10% or greater) are diarrhea, pyrexia, ALT/AST increased, blood alkaline phosphatase increased, and blood potassium decreased. ( 6.1 ) Pediatric Patients: Most common adverse reactions (incidence ≥10%) are pyrexia, diarrhea, rash, ALT/AST increased, blood potassium decreased, hypotension, and chills. ( 6.1 ) To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC at 1-877-888-4231 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch . 6.1 Clinical Trials Experience Because clinical trials are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed in clinical trials of CANCIDAS cannot be directly compared to rates in clinical trials of another drug and may not reflect the rates observed in practice. Clinical Trials Experience in Adults The overall safety of CANCIDAS was assessed in 1865 adult individuals who received single or multiple doses of CANCIDAS: 564 febrile, neutropenic patients (empirical therapy study); 382 patients with candidemia and/or intra-abdominal abscesses, peritonitis, or…
Who shouldn’t take caspofungin
CANCIDAS is contraindicated in patients with known hypersensitivity (e.g., anaphylaxis) to any component of this product [see Adverse Reactions (6) ] . CANCIDAS is contraindicated in patients with known hypersensitivity to any component of this product. ( 4 )
Caspofungin drug interactions
Cyclosporine: In two adult clinical studies, cyclosporine (one 4 mg/kg dose or two 3 mg/kg doses) increased the AUC of CANCIDAS. CANCIDAS did not increase the plasma levels of cyclosporine. There were transient increases in liver ALT and AST when CANCIDAS and cyclosporine were co-administered . Monitor patients who develop abnormal liver enzymes during concomitant therapy and evaluate the risk/benefit of continuing therapy [see Warnings and Precautions (5.2) and Clinical Pharmacology (12.3) ]. Tacrolimus: For patients receiving CANCIDAS and tacrolimus, standard monitoring of tacrolimus trough whole blood concentrations and appropriate tacrolimus dosage adjustments are recommended. Inducers of Hepatic CYP Enzymes Rifampin: Rifampin is a potent CYP3A4 inducer and concomitant administration with CANCIDAS is expected to reduce the plasma concentrations of CANCIDAS. Therefore, adult patients on rifampin should receive 70 mg of CANCIDAS daily and pediatric patients on rifampin should receive 70 mg/m 2 of CANCIDAS daily (not to exceed an actual daily dose of 70 mg) [see Dosage and Administration (2.5) and Clinical Pharmacology (12.3) ] . Other Inducers of Hepatic CYP Enzymes Adults: When CANCIDAS 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 CANCIDAS should be considered [see Dosage and Administration (2.5) and Clinical Pharmacology (12.3) ] . Pediatric Patients: When CANCIDAS 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 dose of 70 mg/m 2 CANCIDAS (not to exceed an actual daily dose of 70 mg) should be considered [see Dosage and Administration (2.5) and Clinical Pharmacology (12.3) ] .
Every caspofungin product we track (2)
Same active ingredient — different manufacturer, form, price and FDA recall record. That last one is what our independent score measures.
| # | Drug | Rating | Type | Form | Generic? | Pharmacy pays | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 70/100 | Prescription | Injectable | No data | — | View → | |
| 2 | Not yet rated | Prescription | Injectable | No data | — | View → |
How long caspofungin keeps
The date on a sealed pack is not the only one: some caspofungin labels start a second clock once the product is opened or mixed, as short as 24 hours.
Does caspofungin expire? The in-use limits and storage rules from its labelsCaspofungin and breastfeeding
From LactMed, the US National Library of Medicine’s Drugs and Lactation Database — quoted, not rewritten.
Full LactMed record for caspofungin: levels in milk, effects in breastfed infants, and the drugs it would consider insteadNo information is available on the use of caspofungin during breastfeeding. Because caspofungin is 97% bound to plasma proteins and has poor oral bioavailability, it is unlikely to reach the milk and be absorbed by the infant. Caspofungin can safely be given intravenously to infants of aged 3 months or older. Any amount absorbed from milk is likely to be far less than an infant dose. If caspofungin is required by the mother, it is not a reason to discontinue breastfeeding.
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, record revised May 15, 2023. LactMed states its information is not a substitute for professional judgement.
What people report to the FDA about caspofungin
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) collects reports from patients and clinicians. It holds 1,596 reports naming caspofungin, and the FDA flagged 96% of those reports as serious. The effects reported most often — leaving out reports about overdose, misuse or the condition being treated, which dominate the raw list for common medicines:
- multiple organ dysfunction syndrome87 reports
- septic shock72 reports
- pneumonia64 reports
- pyrexia64 reports
- febrile neutropenia62 reports
- drug resistance60 reports
- systemic candida59 reports
- sepsis57 reports
Read these as a signal, not a rate. A report does not mean caspofungin caused the effect — anyone can file one, and many describe people taking several medicines for several conditions. Crucially there is no denominator: FAERS does not record how many people took the drug, so these counts cannot be turned into “X% of patients” — a bigger number often just means a more widely used or more talked-about drug. Duplicates exist, and publicity drives reporting. For what is actually established, read the FDA label section above.
Source: openFDA drug/event (FAERS), retrieved August 25, 2026.
Related calculators
Frequently asked questions
What is caspofungin?
Cancidas (Caspofungin Acetate) is an echinocandin antifungal used to treat Aspergillosis, Candidemia.
What kind of drug is caspofungin?
The FDA classifies caspofungin as an echinocandin antifungal. If you are checking whether it is safe to combine with something else, the class is what matters — two drugs from the same class usually should not be stacked.
Can you take caspofungin with other medicines?
It depends on the medicine. We check it against the FDA labels rather than guessing: our interaction checker searches each drug's own label for the other and quotes what it says, naming the section it came from. Run caspofungin against whatever else you take — and remember that a label not naming a drug is not the same as that combination being safe.
What brand names is caspofungin sold under?
We track 2 caspofungin-containing products in the U.S.: Cancidas and Caspofungin Acetate. They are the same active ingredient; they differ in form, manufacturer, price and FDA recall record.
What forms does caspofungin come in?
Across the brands we track, caspofungin is currently marketed as injectable, per the FDA's National Drug Code Directory. Each form is dosed differently — follow the label for the exact product you were prescribed.
Is there a generic caspofungin?
Yes. Our catalog lists 1 generic caspofungin product alongside the brand versions. A generic has the same active ingredient and must meet the FDA's bioequivalence standard; it usually costs less. Ask your pharmacist which one your plan covers.
Cite this page
- APA
- pharmaranks. (2026, July 24). Caspofungin: uses, dosing, side effects & brands. https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/caspofungin
- MLA
- “Caspofungin: uses, dosing, side effects & brands.” pharmaranks, 24 July 2026, https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/caspofungin.
We summarise public FDA and NIH sources — for a clinical claim, cite the primary source we link to as well.
Sources: FDA openFDA drug label, National Drug Code Directory, and Enforcement (recall) database. This page reproduces public FDA data and is not medical advice. Dosing is set by your prescriber.
Read the full FDA label for caspofungin on DailyMed (NIH) ↗.