Indications
Pegfilgrastim (pegylated filgrastim) is a leukocyte growth factor. Doctors use it to lower the chance of infection, shown as febrile neutropenia, in patients with non-myeloid malignancies who are getting myelosuppressive anti-cancer drugs. It is meant for those drugs that carry a clinically significant incidence of febrile neutropenia.
⚠️ Always consult a registered physician before taking any medicine.
Pharmacology
Pegfilgrastim is a pegylated glycoprotein and a Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor (G-CSF). It regulates how the bone marrow produces and releases functional neutrophils. Chemically, pegfilgrastim is a covalent conjugate of recombinant methionyl human G-CSF (Filgrastim) and monomethoxy polyethylene glycol.
Filgrastim is a water soluble protein made of 175 amino acids, with a molecular weight of approximately 19 kilodaltons (kD). A 20 kD monomethoxy polyethylene glycol molecule is covalently bound to the N-terminal methionyl residue of filgrastim. This brings the average molecular weight of pegfilgrastim to approximately 39 kD.
Pregnancy & Breastfeeding
Pegfilgrastim is Pregnancy Category C. No adequate and well-controlled studies have been done in pregnant women. In pregnant rabbits given cumulative doses of about 4 times the recommended human dose (based on body surface area), Pegfilgrastim was embryotoxic and increased pregnancy loss. Signs of maternal toxicity also appeared at these doses. So Pegfilgrastim should be used in pregnancy only if the likely benefit to the mother justifies the possible risk to the fetus.
Nursing Mothers: It is not known whether Pegfilgrastim passes into human milk. Other recombinant G-CSF products pass into breast milk only poorly, and G-CSF is not absorbed orally by neonates. Even so, take caution when giving it to a nursing woman.
⚠️ Talk to your doctor before taking any medicine during pregnancy or while breastfeeding.
Dosage Reference
⚠️ Reference ranges from official sources only. Consult your doctor for personalized dosing.
Side Effects & Interactions
Side Effects
No side-effect data recorded yet.