rezafungin acetate at a glance
Medicine class
Echinocandin antifungal
Licensed use
Invasive candidiasis in adults
Administration
Slow intravenous infusion prepared and given by a healthcare professional
What is rezafungin acetate used for?
Licensed use:
Treatment of invasive candidiasis in adults. This is a serious Candida infection involving the blood, tissues or organs.
How does rezafungin acetate work?
Rezafungin blocks fungal 1,3-β-D-glucan synthase. This prevents Candida from making an essential cell-wall component, leaving fungal cells fragile and causing fungicidal activity.
rezafungin acetate preparations and strengths
Solution for infusion
Route: Intravenous
Strengths: 200 mg
How to take rezafungin acetate
Rezafungin is for intravenous use only. A healthcare professional reconstitutes and dilutes the powder before giving it as a slow infusion.
Tell staff immediately if flushing, warmth, nausea, chest tightness or breathing symptoms develop during the infusion.
Avoid unprotected sunlight, ultraviolet lamps and sunbeds during treatment and for seven days after the final administration because phototoxicity may occur.
Food does not affect administration because rezafungin is not taken by mouth.
rezafungin acetate side effects
Common or expected effects
- Low blood potassium
- Anaemia
- Diarrhoea
- Fever
- Low magnesium or phosphate
- Nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain or constipation
- Low blood pressure
- Rash or skin redness
- Raised liver enzymes
- Infusion-related flushing, warmth, nausea or chest tightness
Get urgent medical advice
- Sudden breathing difficulty, swelling, faintness, rapid heartbeat, sweating or loss of consciousness may indicate anaphylaxis.
- Chest tightness, wheezing or other rapidly developing symptoms during an infusion need immediate assessment.
rezafungin acetate in pregnancy
There are no human pregnancy data, and animal studies showed that rezafungin crosses the placenta. It is not recommended during pregnancy, or for someone who could become pregnant and is not using contraception, unless the expected benefit outweighs the potential fetal risk. Specialist prescriber advice is required.
rezafungin acetate while breastfeeding
It is unknown whether rezafungin enters human milk, and a risk to a breastfed child cannot be excluded. The clinical team should decide with the patient whether breastfeeding or rezafungin treatment should be interrupted, considering their respective benefits.
rezafungin acetate interactions
Clinical studies suggest that rezafungin has a relatively low potential for clinically important pharmacokinetic interactions, but the treating team should still review all medicines.
Tacrolimus, ciclosporin, ibrutinib, mycophenolate mofetil and venetoclax
Clinically meaningful pharmacokinetic interactions were considered unlikely when these medicines were administered with rezafungin.
Medicines handled by common CYP enzymes or transport proteins
Studies found clinically important effects unlikely for substrates of CYP2C8, CYP3A4, CYP1A2, CYP2B6 and several major transport proteins.
Common questions about rezafungin acetate
Answers are fully visible for fast scanning and source review.
What infection does rezafungin acetate treat?
It is licensed in adults for invasive candidiasis, where Candida infects the blood, tissues or organs.
Is rezafungin acetate an antibiotic or an antifungal?
It is an antifungal from the echinocandin class; it does not treat bacterial infections.
Is rezafungin acetate taken by mouth?
Sources
These sources were used to prepare and review this medicine page.
Prepared and reviewed by the iatroX editorial team.