Pegfilgrastim (By injection)

peg-fil-GRA-stim

Helps your body make white blood cells after you receive cancer medicine.

Drug classes

Hematopoietic (About this – PubMed Health)

Uses

Uses of This Medicine

Pegfilgrastim injection is used to treat neutropenia (low white blood cells) that is caused by cancer medicines. It is a synthetic (man-made) form of a substance that is naturally produced in your body called a colony stimulating factor. Pegfilgrastim helps the bone marrow to make new white blood cells.

When certain cancer medicines are used to fight cancer cells, they also affect the white blood cells that fight infections. Pegfilgrastim is used to reduce the risk of infection while you are being treated with cancer medicines.

This medicine is available only with your doctor’s prescription.

Once a medicine has been approved for marketing for a certain use, experience may show that it is also useful for other medical problems. Although these uses are not included in product labeling, pegfilgrastim is used in certain patients with the following medical conditions:

Harvesting of peripheral blood stem cells, prior to autologous stem-cell transplantation.

Other uses (PubMed Health)

How To Use

Injectable

Your doctor will prescribe your exact dose and tell you how often it should be given. This medicine is given as a shot under your skin.

A nurse or other health provider will give you this medicine.

You may be taught how to give your medicine at home. Make sure you understand all instructions before giving yourself an injection. Do not use more medicine or use it more often than your doctor tells you to.

Start using the medicine 24 hours or more after you finish your chemotherapy. However, do not use it within 24 hours before you begin another chemotherapy treatment.

Read and follow the patient instructions that come with this medicine. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions.

If the medicine has been in the refrigerator, let it warm to room temperature for 30 minutes before you use it.

Do not shake the syringe. Do not save leftover medicine.

Missed dose: This medicine needs to be given on a fixed schedule. If you miss a dose, call your doctor, home health caregiver, or treatment clinic for instructions.

Neulasta® single-use prefilled syringe: If you store this medicine at home, keep it in the refrigerator. Do not freeze. If the medicine is accidently frozen, let it thaw out in the refrigerator before you use it. If the medicine freezes a second time, do not use it. Keep the medicine in the carton and away from heat or direct light. The medicine can stay out of the refrigerator for up to 48 hours. Throw away any medicine that has been out of the refrigerator for more than 48 hours.

Neulasta® Onpro™ kit: Keep the medicine in the carton and away from heat or direct light. The medicine can stay out of the refrigerator for up to 12 hours. Throw away any medicine that has been out of the refrigerator for more than 12 hours.

Throw away used needles in a hard, closed container that the needles cannot poke through. Keep this container away from children and pets.

Drugs and Foods to Avoid

Ask your doctor or pharmacist before using any other medicine, including over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products.

When Not To Use

This medicine is not right for everyone. Do not use it if you had an allergic reaction to pegfilgrastim or filgrastim.

Warnings

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, or if you have kidney disease, lung disease, breathing problems, or sickle cell disease. Tell your doctor if you have an allergy to acrylic adhesives or latex.

This medicine may cause the following problems:

Spleen problems Serious lung problems Kidney problems Capillary leak syndrome

On-body Injector for Neulasta®:

Keep the injector at least 4 inches away from electrical equipment, such as cell or cordless phones, microwaves, and other appliances. Do not use hot tubs or saunas while you are wearing the injector. Do not expose the injector to sunlight. Do not sleep on the injector. Call your doctor if the injector comes off before or during a dose. Keep the injector dry at least 3 hours before the dose is scheduled to start. This will help you notice any leaks. Call your doctor if the bandage becomes wet or the medicine is dripping. The injector is programmed to deliver your dose about 27 hours after it is placed on your skin. It will take about 45 minutes for the dose to be given. Avoid activities, such as driving and traveling, that may interfere with the injector 1 hour before the dose starts, while it is being given, and for at least 1 hour afterward.

Tell any doctor or dentist who treats you that you are using this medicine. This medicine may affect certain medical test results.

Your doctor will do lab tests at regular visits to check on the effects of this medicine. Keep all appointments.

Keep all medicine out of the reach of children. Never share your medicine with anyone.

Possible side effects

Summary More details

Call your doctor right away if you notice any of these side effects:

Allergic reaction: Itching or hives, swelling in your face or hands, swelling or tingling in your mouth or throat, chest tightness, trouble breathing

Decrease in how much or how often you urinate, red or dark brown urine, lower back or side pain

Fever, chills, cough, sore throat, and body aches

Lightheadedness, dizziness, or fainting

Pain in your left side or shoulder, or feeling unusually full

Skin redness, blisters, or sores, red or purple spots on your skin

Swelling in your face, ankles, or feet

Trouble breathing or fast breathing

Unusual bleeding, bruising, tiredness, or weakness

If you notice these less serious side effects, talk with your doctor:

Bone pain, pain in your arms or legs

Pain, redness, or swelling where the shot was given

If you notice other side effects that you think are caused by this medicine, tell your doctor.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

More side effects of this drug

Brand names include

Neulasta, Neulasta Onpro

There may be other brand names for this medicine.