Astellas

Japanese drug major Astellas' Mycamine (micafungin), the newest echinocandin, is now available in 13 European markets: the UK, Greece,  the Czech Republic, Slovakia, the Nordic region, Spain, Germany,  Ireland and France following its European Union approval last year  (Marketletter May 12, 2008). The agent is a novel treatment for patients  suffering from the serious fungal infection known as invasive  candidiasis, which kills almost 40% of those who are infected. The  efficacy and safety of Mycamine has been demonstrated for a broad range  of patient types in a clinical program involving over 3,000 patients,  including 296 children and premature babies.