pegfilgrastim at a glance
Medicine class
Long-acting granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF).
Main role
Supports neutrophil recovery after cytotoxic chemotherapy in adults.
Administration
Injection under the skin; self-injection requires training.
Important limitation
It lowers but does not remove the risk of serious infection during chemotherapy.
What is pegfilgrastim used for?
The selected products are licensed in adults receiving cytotoxic chemotherapy for cancer to:
Reduce how long chemotherapy-related neutropenia lasts.
Reduce the incidence of febrile neutropenia.
How does pegfilgrastim work?
Pegfilgrastim acts like natural G-CSF, stimulating bone marrow to make and release neutrophils that help fight infection. Attachment of polyethylene glycol slows clearance compared with filgrastim; clearance then increases as neutrophils recover, producing a partly self-regulating effect.
pegfilgrastim preparations and strengths
Injection
Route: Parenteral
Strengths: 6 mg
How to take pegfilgrastim
Pegfilgrastim is injected under the skin into the thigh, abdomen or upper arm. Its timing must be coordinated with chemotherapy by the oncology team.
Only self-inject after a healthcare professional has trained you.
Let the syringe reach room temperature naturally before injection; do not microwave, heat or shake it.
Check that the solution is clear and colourless and contains no particles.
Use each syringe once and place it in the approved sharps container.
Follow the storage instructions for the exact brand supplied because limits differ between products.
pegfilgrastim side effects
Common or expected effects
- Bone pain
- Headache
- Nausea
- Muscle, joint, limb or back pain
- Injection-site pain
- Temporary blood-count changes, including raised white cells or reduced platelets
Get urgent medical advice
- Serious allergy or anaphylaxis
- Left upper abdominal or shoulder-tip pain suggesting a spleen problem
- Cough, fever or breathing difficulty suggesting a serious lung reaction
- Rapid swelling, reduced urination, breathlessness or faintness suggesting capillary leak syndrome
- Coughing up blood
- Blood in the urine or other features of kidney inflammation
- Severe blistering, peeling or ulcerating skin reaction
- Persistent fever with abdominal or back pain, which may indicate inflammation of a large artery
- Sickle-cell crisis in someone with sickle-cell disease or trait
pegfilgrastim in pregnancy
Human pregnancy data are limited, and the selected product information does not recommend routine use during pregnancy. Small observational studies of G-CSF exposure have not shown a clear increase in short-term adverse outcomes, but numbers are limited; decisions require specialist oncology and obstetric assessment.
pegfilgrastim while breastfeeding
It is unknown whether clinically relevant pegfilgrastim reaches human milk, and risk to a breastfed infant cannot be excluded. The benefits of treatment and breastfeeding should be reviewed with the oncology team using an individual mother-and-infant risk assessment.
pegfilgrastim interactions
Formal interaction studies are limited. Tell the oncology team about all prescribed, non-prescribed and complementary products.
Cytotoxic chemotherapy
Pegfilgrastim should not be administered alongside chemotherapy; the oncology team must coordinate their timing.
Fluorouracil and other antimetabolites
Concurrent administration increased bone-marrow suppression in animal studies; human relevance is uncertain.
Common questions about pegfilgrastim
Answers are fully visible for fast scanning and source review.
Why is pegfilgrastim given with chemotherapy treatment?
Chemotherapy can reduce infection-fighting neutrophils. Pegfilgrastim stimulates their production and shortens the period of severe neutropenia.
Is pegfilgrastim a type of chemotherapy?
No. It is a supportive growth factor that helps bone marrow produce neutrophils; it does not treat the cancer directly.
Sources
These sources were used to prepare and review this medicine page.
Prepared and reviewed by the iatroX editorial team.