Neulasta (Pegfilgrastim) Drug Information: Description, User Reviews, Drug Side Effects, Interactions

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May 26, 2012

Neulasta

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What is cancer?

Cancer is the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells anywhere in a body. The abnormal cells are termed cancer cells, malignant cells, or tumor cells. Many cancers and the abnormal cells that compose the cancer tissue are further identified by the name of the tissue that the abnormal cells originated from (for example, breast cancer, lung cancer, colon cancer). Cancer is not confined to humans; animals and other living organisms can get cancer. Below is a schematic that shows normal cell division and how when a cell is damaged or altered without repair to its system, the cell usually dies. Also shown is what can occur when such damaged or unrepaired cells do not die and become cancer cells and proliferate with uncontrolled growth; a mass of cancer cells develop. Frequently, cancer cells can break away from this original mass of cells, travel through the blood and lymph systems, and lodge in other organs where they can again repeat the ...

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Neulasta

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Neulasta®
(pegfilgrastim)

DRUG DESCRIPTION

Neulasta® (pegfilgrastim) is a covalent conjugate of recombinant methionyl human G-CSF (Filgrastim) and monomethoxypolyethylene glycol. Filgrastim is a water-soluble 175 amino acid protein with a molecular weight of approximately 19 kilodaltons (kD). Filgrastim is obtained from the bacterial fermentation of a strain of Escherichia coli transformed with a genetically engineered plasmid containing the human G-CSF gene. To produce pegfilgrastim, a 20 kD monomethoxypolyethylene glycol molecule is covalently bound to the N-terminal methionyl residue of Filgrastim. The average molecular weight of pegfilgrastim is approximately 39 kD.

Neulasta® (pegfilgrastim) is supplied in 0.6 mL prefilled syringes for subcutaneous injection. Each syringe contains 6 mg pegfilgrastim (based on protein weight), in a sterile, clear, colorless, preservative-free solution (pH 4.0) containing acetate (0.35 mg), sorbitol (30.0 mg), polysorbate 20 (0.02 mg), and sodium (0.02 mg) in water for injection, USP.

What are the possible side effects of pegfilgrastim (Neulasta)?

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; wheezing, difficulty breathing; dizziness, fast pulse; sweating; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Stop using pegfilgrastim and call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:

sudden or severe pain in your left upper stomach spreading up to your shoulder;
rapid breathing or feeling short of breath;
any sign of infection such as fever, chills, body aches, flu symptoms,...

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What are the precautions when taking pegfilgrastim (Neulasta)?

Before using pegfilgrastim, tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are allergic to it or to filgrastim; or to other medications made in a similar way (biotechnology-produced proteins using E. coli); or if you have any other allergies. This product may contain inactive ingredients (such as dry natural rubber/latex in the needle cover on the prefilled syringe), which can cause allergic reactions or other problems. Talk to your pharmacist for more details.

Before using this medication, tell your doctor or pharmacist your medical history, especially of: sickle cell disease, spleen problems.

If you are scheduled to have radiation therapy, tell your doctor you are taking pegfilgrastim. This medication should not be given during the time you are receiving radiation...

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Last reviewed on RxList: 6/27/2008
This monograph has been modified to include the generic and brand name in many instances.