FDA Approves Additional Indication for Astellas' M...( DEERFIELD Ill. Jan. 23 /- Astella...),Health

DEERFIELD, Ill., Jan. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- Astellas Pharma Inc. announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved their Supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) seeking approval for the use of MYCAMINE(R) (micafungin sodium) for Injection in the treatment of patients with Candidemia, Acute Disseminated Candidiasis, Candida Peritonitis and Abscesses. MYCAMINE was approved in 2005 for the treatment of patients with esophageal candidiasis and is the only echinocandin approved for the prophylaxis of Candida infections in patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050513/CGF007LOGO)

"The FDA's approval of this sNDA further confirms the safety and efficacy profile of MYCAMINE and its importance in the treatment of candidemia and other Candida infections," said Yoshihiko Hatanaka, President and Chief Executive Officer, Astellas Pharma US, Inc. "The approval of this additional indication is another step toward fulfilling our mission to provide innovative treatments such as MYCAMINE to help patients with significant medical needs."

About Candidemia

Candidemia is a fungal infection that occurs when Candida species enter the blood, causing bloodstream infection with the potential to spread to another part of the body.

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), candidemia is the fourth most common bloodstream infection among hospitalized patients in the United States. A survey conducted at CDC found that candidemia occurs in 8 of every 100,000 persons per year. Persons at high risk for candidemia include surgical patients, and those whose immune systems are deficient.

About MYCAMINE

MYCAMINE is a member of a newer class of antifungal agents, the echinocandins. MYCAMINE inhibits an enzyme essential for fungal cell-wall synthesis and is fungicidal
'/>"/>