Slowly metabolized by hydrolysis and N-acetylation; also undergoes spontaneous chemical degradation and further hydrolysis to constitutive amino acids and their degredates, including dihydroxyhomotyrosine and N-acetyl-dihydroxyhomotyrosine.
Caspofungin is slowly metabolized in the liver via hydrolysis and N-acetylation; 35 and 41% of the parent drug and metabolites were excreted in feces and urine, respectively, following a single IV radiolabeled dose.
The metabolism, excretion, and pharmacokinetics of caspofungin were investigated after administration of a single intravenous dose to mice, rats, rabbits, and monkeys. ... Excretion of radioactivity in all species studied was slow, and low levels of radioactivity were detected in daily urine and fecal samples throughout a prolonged collection period. Although urinary profiles indicated the presence of several metabolites (M0, M1, M2, M3, M4, M5, and M6), the majority of the total radioactivity was associated with the polar metabolites M1 [4(S)-hydroxy-4-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-L-threonine] and M2 (N-acetyl-4(S)-hydroxy-4-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-L-threonine). Caspofungin was thus primarily eliminated by metabolic transformation; however, the rate of metabolism was slow. ...
Caspofungin is slowly metabolized by hydrolysis and N-acetylation. Caspofungin also undergoes spontaneous chemical degradation to an open-ring peptide compound, L-747969. At later time points (> or = 5 days postdose), there is a low level (< or = 7 picomoles/mg protein, or < or = 1.3% of administered dose) of covalent binding of radiolabel in plasma following single-dose administration of (3)H caspofungin acetate, which may be due to two reactive intermediates formed during the chemical degradation of caspofungin to L-747969. Additional metabolism involves hydrolysis into constitutive amino acids and their degradates, including dihydroxyhomotyrosine and N-acetyl-dihydroxyhomotyrosine. These two tyrosine derivatives are found only in urine, suggesting rapid clearance of these derivatives by the kidneys. /Caspofungin acetate/