Empirical Therapy for Presumed Fungal Infections in Febrile Neutropenic Patients

Administer a single 70-mg loading dose on Day 1, followed by 50 mg once daily thereafter. Duration of treatment should be based on the patient's clinical response. Continue empirical therapy until resolution of neutropenia. In general, treat patients found to have a fungal infection for a minimum of 14 days after the last positive culture and continue treatment for at least 7 days after both neutropenia and clinical symptoms are resolved. If the 50-mg dose is well tolerated but does not provide an adequate clinical response, the daily dose can be increased to 70 mg.

Candidemia and Other Candida Infections

Administer a single 70-mg loading dose on Day 1, followed by 50 mg once daily thereafter. Duration of treatment should be dictated by the patient's clinical and microbiological response. In general, continue antifungal therapy for at least 14 days after the last positive culture. Patients with neutropenia who remain persistently neutropenic may warrant a longer course of therapy pending resolution of the neutropenia.

Esophageal Candidiasis

The dose is 50 mg once daily for 7 to 14 days after symptom resolution. A 70-mg loading dose has not been studied for this indication. Because of the risk of relapse of oropharyngeal candidiasis in patients with HIV infections, suppressive oral therapy could be considered [see Clinical Studies (14.3)].

Invasive Aspergillosis

Administer a single 70-mg loading dose on Day 1, followed by 50 mg once daily thereafter. Duration of treatment should be based upon the severity of the patient's underlying disease, recovery from immunosuppression, and clinical response.

Adult Patients:

Adult patients on rifampin should receive 70 mg of CANCIDAS once daily. When CANCIDAS is co-administered to adult patients with other inducers of hepatic CYP enzymes such as nevirapine, efavirenz, carbamazepine, dexamethasone, or phenytoin, administration of a daily dose of 70 mg of CANCIDAS should be considered [see Drug Interactions (7)].

Pediatric Patients:

Pediatric patients on rifampin should receive 70 mg/m2 of CANCIDAS daily (not to exceed an actual daily dose of 70 mg). When CANCIDAS is co-administered to pediatric patients with other inducers of hepatic CYP enzymes, such as efavirenz, nevirapine, phenytoin, dexamethasone, or carbamazepine, a CANCIDAS dose of 70 mg/m2 once daily (not to exceed 70 mg) should be considered [see Drug Interactions (7)].

Reconstitution of CANCIDAS for Intravenous Infusion

1. Equilibrate the refrigerated vial of CANCIDAS to room temperature.
2. Aseptically add 10.8 mL of 0.9% Sodium Chloride Injection, Sterile Water for Injection, Bacteriostatic Water for Injection with methylparaben and propylparaben, or Bacteriostatic Water for Injection with 0.9% benzyl alcohol to the vial.
3. Each vial of CANCIDAS contains an intentional overfill of CANCIDAS. Thus, the volume of diluent to be added to each vial and the drug concentration of the resulting solution is listed in Table 1 below.

   Table 1: Information for Preparation of CANCIDAS

   CANCIDAS vial (equivalent to caspofungin)	Volume of diluent to be added*	Resulting Concentration following Reconstitution
   * Reconstitution volume of diluent to be added is based on the overfill amount of caspofungin (54.6 mg and 75.6 mg, respectively).
   50 mg	10.8 mL	5 mg/mL
   70 mg	10.8 mL	7 mg/mL

4. The white to off-white cake will dissolve completely. Mix gently until a clear solution is obtained. Visually inspect the reconstituted solution for particulate matter or discoloration during reconstitution and prior to infusion. Do not use if the solution is cloudy or has precipitated.
5. The reconstituted solution of CANCIDAS in the vial may be stored for up to one hour at ≤25°C (≤77°F) prior to the preparation of the infusion solution in the intravenous bag or bottle.
6. CANCIDAS vials are for single-dose only. Discard unused portion.

Dilution of the Reconstituted Solution in the Intravenous Bag for Infusion

1. Aseptically transfer the appropriate volume (mL) of reconstituted CANCIDAS to an intravenous (IV) bag (or bottle) containing 250 mL of 0.9%, 0.45%, or 0.225% Sodium Chloride Injection or Lactated Ringers Injection.
2. Alternatively, the volume (mL) of reconstituted CANCIDAS can be added to a reduced volume of 0.9%, 0.45%, or 0.225% Sodium Chloride Injection or Lactated Ringers Injection, not to exceed a final concentration of 0.5 mg/mL.
3. This diluted infusion solution in the intravenous bag or bottle must be used within 24 hours if stored at ≤25°C (≤77°F) or within 48 hours if stored refrigerated at 2 to 8°C (36 to 46°F).

Important Reconstitution and Dilution Instructions for Pediatric Patients 3 Months of Age and Older

Follow the reconstitution procedures described above using either the 70-mg or 50-mg vial to create the reconstituted solution [see Dosage and Administration (2.3)]. From the reconstituted solution in the vial, remove the volume of drug equal to the calculated loading dose or calculated maintenance dose based on a concentration of 7 mg/mL (if reconstituted from the 70-mg vial) or a concentration of 5 mg/mL (if reconstituted from the 50-mg vial).

The choice of vial should be based on total milligram dose of drug to be administered to the pediatric patient. To help ensure accurate dosing, it is recommended for pediatric doses less than 50 mg that 50-mg vials (with a concentration of 5 mg/mL) be used if available. The 70-mg vial should be reserved for pediatric patients requiring doses greater than 50 mg.

The maximum loading dose and the daily maintenance dose should not exceed 70 mg, regardless of the patient's calculated dose.