| Generic name | Filgrastim |
| Pronunciation | fil-GRA-stim |
| Brand name(s), other common name(s) | Neupogen®, G-CSF |
| Biosimilar* name(s) | Filgrastim-sndz (ZarxioTM), Filgrastim-aafi (NivestymTM) |
| Drug type | Growth factor |
| How the drug is given | Subcutaneous (SC) injection or intravenously (IV) |
Indications and Usage
Filgrastim is FDA approved to
- Decrease the incidence of infection‚ as manifested by febrile neutropenia‚ in patients with nonmyeloid malignancies receiving myelosuppressive anti-cancer drugs associated with a significant incidence of severe neutropenia with fever
- Reduce the time to neutrophil recovery and the duration of fever, following induction or consolidation chemotherapy treatment of patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML)
- Reduce the duration of neutropenia and neutropenia-related clinical sequelae‚ e.g.‚ febrile neutropenia, in patients with nonmyeloid malignancies undergoing myeloablative chemotherapy followed by bone marrow transplantation (BMT)
- Mobilize autologous hematopoietic progenitor cells into the peripheral blood for collection by leukapheresis
- Reduce the incidence and duration of sequelae of severe neutropenia (e.g.‚ fever‚ infections‚ oropharyngeal ulcers) in symptomatic patients with congenital neutropenia‚ cyclic neutropenia‚ or idiopathic neutropenia
- Increase survival in patients acutely exposed to myelosuppressive doses of radiation (Hematopoietic Syndrome of Acute Radiation Syndrome)
Side effects needing medical attention
Aching in the bones and muscles; spleen rupture; acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS); serious allergic reactions; sickle cell crisis; kidney injury; Capillary Leak Syndrome; decreased platelet count (thrombocytopenia); increased white blood cell count (leukocytosis); inflammation of your blood vessels (cutaneous vasculitis).
*A biosimilar is a biological product that is highly similar to and has no clinically meaningful differences from an existing FDA-approved reference product. Click here for more information.
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