Pegfilgrastim; a neutrophil mediated granulocyte colony stimulating factor - expanding uses in cancer chemotherapy

Background: Currently G-CSFs such as filgrastim (Neupogen (R), Amgen, Inc.) and pegfilgrastim (Neulasta (R), Amgen, Inc.) are widely used to reduce chemotherapy-induced neutropenia. Pegfilgrastim is a novel recombinant human G-CSF and its unique neutrophil-mediated clearance allows it to be administered once per chemotherapy cycle. Objective: To address the pharmacology of pegfilgrastim and provide an overview of its current clinical use in cancer chemotherapy. Methods: Review and summary of publications on pegfilgrastim indexed in the PubMed electronic database. Results/conclusion: The efficacy of pegfilgrastim is similar to or greater than that of filgrastim and an important advantage of pegfilgrastim is its schedule of administration that may be associated with greater treatment compliance and improved patient quality of life. Ongoing clinical trials continue to explore further potential uses for pegfilgrastim.