PEGFILGRASTIM belongs to the class of medicine called 'hematopoietic agent' used to treat neutropenia, a deficiency of specific white blood cells caused by cancer, bone marrow transplant, chemotherapy, or other diseases. PEGFILGRASTIM helps reduce the chance of infection in cancer patients and those receiving chemotherapy medicines. Neutropenia is a condition in which the quantity of neutrophils (white blood cells) in the blood is reduced.
PEGFILGRASTIM contains 'Pegfilgrastim,' a growth factor that stimulates the formation of white blood cells and helps reduce the chances of infection in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy.
PEGFILGRASTIM will be administered by a healthcare professional. Sometimes, you may experience injection site responses such as pain, redness, or swelling. You may also experience nausea, headaches, bone pain and pain in the extremity. Most of these side effects do not necessitate medical treatment and will gradually fade over time. However, if you suffer these side effects regularly, you should consult your doctor.
Do not use PEGFILGRASTIM without the doctor's advice if you have a skin reaction or irritation to any medicine. Consult your doctor before using the PEGFILGRASTIM if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Let your doctor know if you suffer from renal dysfunction, blood cancer, or leucocytosis (high white blood cell count). Regular blood tests are recommended to check the number of white blood cells in the body. Keep your doctor informed about your medical condition and all the medicines you take to rule out any side effects.
Neutropenia
PEGFILGRASTIM contains 'Pegfilgrastim,' which is a growth factor. It belongs to the cytokine family of proteins and is extremely similar to a natural protein (granulocyte-colony stimulating factor) produced by the body. PEGFILGRASTIM acts by encouraging the bone marrow to generate more white blood cells, aiding infection resistance. PEGFILGRASTIM is used to boost white blood cell count following cancer treatment or chemotherapy, bone marrow transplantation, severe persistent neutropenia, neutropenia in HIV patients, and before stem cell donation.
Do not use PEGFILGRASTIM without the doctor's advice if you had a skin reaction or irritation to any medicine. Consult your doctor before using PEGFILGRASTIM if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Let your doctor know if you are suffering from renal dysfunction, blood cancer, leucocytosis (high white blood cell count). Keep your doctor informed about your medical condition and all the medicines you are taking to rule out any side effects. Regular blood tests will be taken to monitor the number of white blood cells in the body. PEGFILGRASTIM is a cold chain medicine, and so it has to be stored in the refrigerator between 2-8 degrees Celsius else its efficacy might get lost.
Drug-Drug Interactions: PEGFILGRASTIM may have interaction with medicines used to treat cancer (e.g. cladribine) and other hematopoietic agents (e.g. filgrastim).
Drug-Food Interactions: Limit or quit the consumption of alcohol.
Drug-Disease Interactions: PEGFILGRASTIM may cause interactions with disease conditions such as glomerulonephritis (acute inflammation of the kidney), leucocytosis (high white blood cell count) and myeloid tumours (cancer).
It is unknown whether consuming alcohol with PEGFILGRASTIM is safe. However, as a precaution, it is best to avoid or limit alcohol consumption.
Pregnancy Category C. It should be used in pregnant women only if clinically needed, and the benefits outweigh the risks. Please consult your doctor.
It is unknown whether PEGFILGRASTIM passes into the breast milk. Please seek medical advice from your doctor if you are breastfeeding before taking PEGFILGRASTIM.
The ability to drive or utilize machines is unaffected by PEGFILGRASTIM.
Consult your doctor if you have liver problems.
Caution should be exercised while using PEGFILGRASTIM in patients with renal dysfunction. Monitoring of patients with renal dysfunction is recommended.
Please consult your doctor if you have any concerns regarding the usage of PEGFILGRASTIM in children.
Neutropenia: Neutropenia is characterized as a lower than the normal number of neutrophils (a type of white blood cell). White blood cells protect the body from infections. Without enough neutrophils, the body cannot fight bacteria, increasing the risk of many illnesses. Neutropenia can be caused by various conditions, including cancers like leukaemia, cancer treatment like radiotherapy, and infections like HIV or hepatitis.