Which version of the Instructions for Use did your doctors's office give you?
If you don’t recognize the images above or if you prefer a physical copy, contact your doctor.
Which version of the Instructions for Use came with your patient's on-body injector?
Neulasta® (pegfilgrastim) is a prescription medicine used to help reduce the... Read More
Neulasta® (pegfilgrastim) is a prescription medicine used to help reduce the chance of infection due to a low white blood cell count, in people with certain types of cancer (non‑myeloid), who receive anti-cancer medicines (chemotherapy) that can cause fever and low white blood cell count.
Which version of the Instructions for Use did your doctors's office give you?
If you don’t recognize the images above or if you prefer a physical copy, contact your doctor.
There are organizations all over the country that can provide information and support during your cancer journey and beyond.* Start here to find resources in your area.
*These third-party resources are for your information only. Amgen does not endorse and is not responsible for the content included in these resources.
News, information, and support.
Phone (toll-free): 800-227-2345
www.cancer.orgNational, nonprofit organization offering free and confidential one-on-one emotional support to adult patients with cancer and their families.
Phone (toll-free): 1-877-467-3638
www.cancerhopenetwork.orgSupport, education, and research for people living with cancer.
Phone: 202-659-9709 or toll-free 888-793-9355
www.cancersupportcommunity.orgThe NCI, established under the National Cancer Institute Act of 1937, is the Federal Government's principal agency for cancer research and training.
Phone (toll-free): 800-4-CANCER (800-422-6237)
www.cancer.govAlliance of leading cancer centers that offers patient education resources and assistance information, including disease-specific treatment guidelines.
Phone: 215-690-0300
www.nccn.org/patientsDirect case management, education, and financial support for people living with chronic and debilitating diseases.
Phone: 800-532-5274
www.patientadvocate.orgNonprofit dedicated to saving lives through cancer prevention and early detection.
Phone (toll-free): 800-227-2732
www.preventcancer.orgThe Sharps Disposal Container Program helps you easily and safely dispose of the on-body injector for Neulasta® at no additional cost. You can sign up as soon as your doctor prescribes Neulasta® Onpro®. If you have additional questions about the Sharps Disposal Container Program, call 1‑844‑MYNEULASTA (1‑844‑696‑3852).
This list of terms will help you better understand your cancer treatment.
Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) – ANC refers to the total number of neutrophils present in the blood. Neutrophils are particularly important because they defend our bodies against certain types of infection.
Bacteria – Microscopic (can only be seen with a microscope) organisms (living things) that live in and around most living and nonliving things. Some types of bacteria help our bodies stay in balance, while other types can multiply within the body and cause infection. Bacteria are the most common causes of infections in people with cancer. Some examples of bacterial infection include food poisoning, pneumonia, and strep throat.
Chemotherapy (chemo) – Drugs to destroy cancer cells. A person on chemotherapy may take one drug or a combination of drugs. Most often these drugs are given by vein using intravenous (IV) infusion. Some can be taken by mouth or given as an injection, among other methods of delivery.
Co-insurance – Some insurance coverage requires you to pay a percentage of the cost of covered medical services, usually 20–30 percent. Your portion of the cost is the co-insurance.
Colony-stimulating factors – Also called CSFs, colony-stimulating factors are drugs that promote the production of various white blood cells. An example of a CSF is Neulasta® (pegfilgrastim).
Complete blood count (CBC) – The CBC is a test that determines the number of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets in the blood.
Co-payment – Also called co-pay, a flat fee for specified medical services required by some insurers. For example, your insurance provider may require you to pay a $10 co-payment for a doctor visit or a $50 co-payment for a hospital stay.
Deductible – The amount you must pay each year for your medical expenses before your insurance policy starts paying. Deductibles are common in fee-for-service coverage and PPOs.
Febrile neutropenia (FN) – Having a low white blood cell count (neutropenia) and a fever (a neutropenic fever). Febrile neutropenia is often a sign of a serious infection.
Infection – An invasion of microorganisms such as bacteria or viruses that have the ability to multiply and cause disease.
Lymphoma – Cancer that begins in cells of the lymphatic system (part of the immune system that produces and stores cells that fight infection and disease).
Myelosuppressive chemotherapy – Sometimes called strong chemotherapy, a type of chemotherapy that can lower the number of blood cells in your body. Often, people just use the word myelosuppressive to mean chemotherapy that lowers your number of white blood cells.
Neutropenia – A lower-than-normal number of neutrophils (infection-fighting white blood cells) in the blood. It is a common side effect of some chemotherapy treatments. Doctors check the number of neutrophils when they measure the white blood cell count, to monitor the risk of infection.
Neutropenic fever – Having a low white blood cell count with a fever may be a sign of serious infection.
Neutrophil – The most common type of white blood cell. Neutrophils help the body fight infection. A low white blood cell count usually indicates that the neutrophil count is low. It is easier to get an infection and harder to recover from an infection when the number of neutrophils in the bloodstream is low.
Neutrophil count – The number of a specific kind of infection-fighting white blood cells called neutrophils in the blood. A low white blood cell count usually indicates that the neutrophil count is low. It is easier to get an infection and harder to recover from an infection when the number of neutrophils in the bloodstream is low.
Oncologist – A doctor who specializes in the treatment of cancer.
Placebo – A "dummy" treatment used in some clinical trials. In these studies, a group of patients who are given a placebo treatment are compared to another group of patients who are given the actual treatment. The difference in results between the actual treatment group and the placebo group are considered the result of giving the medicine.
Platelets – A type of cell made in the bone marrow. The main function of platelets is to aid in clotting the blood following an injury.
Side effect – Any undesired actions or effects of a drug or treatment. For example, common side effects of chemotherapy include fatigue, nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite.
White blood cell (WBC) – A white blood cell is one of the three main types of blood cells. They are produced in the bone marrow and released into the blood. White blood cells are responsible for fighting infection. There are several kinds of white blood cells, including monocytes, lymphocytes, neutrophils, eosinophils, and basophils.
Chemotherapy (chemo) is a type of treatment that includes a medication or combination of medications to treat cancer. The goal of chemo is to stop or slow the growth of cancer cells. Chemo is considered a systemic therapy. This means it may affect your entire body.
Chemo medications attack fast-growing cancer cells, but they can also affect healthy cells that grow rapidly. The effect of these medications on normal cells often causes chemo side effects. For example:
The goal of chemotherapy (chemo) is to kill cancer cells or slow the growth of cancer over time. Chemo is often given several times over weeks or months in what is known as a course of treatment. A course of treatment is made up of a series of treatment periods, called cycles. During a cycle, you may get chemo every day for one or more days. Since chemo also kills normal cells, these chemo days are followed by periods of rest when you receive no treatment. This rest lets your body recover and produce new healthy cells.
Your doctor will create a plan, or regimen, that includes the type of chemo medications you will receive. The regimen also includes the medication dose and how often you will receive it. Your doctor will choose certain medications that can best fight your cancer.
Chemotherapy (chemo) treatment plans may use a single medication or a combination (or "cocktail") of medications that can be delivered in more than one way. You may receive chemo in one or more of the following forms:
Most people undergoing chemotherapy (chemo) will have chemo side effects. These can vary from person to person. Common chemo side effects include:
Learn more about neutropenia and white blood cells here.
Some chemo side effects can be serious. These may include febrile neutropenia, anemia, thrombocytopenia, fatigue, and nausea and vomiting. You can learn more about these serious chemo side effects by talking to your doctor.
Learn more about how febrile neutropenia can disrupt your treatment plan here.
White blood cells are a key part of your immune system. At natural levels, white blood cells help protect your body against infection. Strong chemotherapy can lower the number of infection-fighting white blood cells in your body, which may weaken your immune system and increase your risk for infection.
Learn more about the role of white blood cells here.
Your doctor may routinely use a test called a complete blood count (a CBC) before and during your chemotherapy treatment. A CBC can help tell if a patient is at increased risk of or has an infection.
If you’re getting strong chemo, watch for these signs of infection. It’s very important to tell your doctor or nurse if you experience the following:
During strong chemo, you may be at risk for infection. There may be ways you can help protect yourself.
Here are some things you can do:
Neulasta® is a prescription medicine used to help reduce the chance of infection due to a low white blood cell count, in people with certain types of cancer (non-myeloid), who receive anti-cancer medicines (chemotherapy) that can cause fever and low blood cell count.
To learn more about how Neulasta® works, watch the video here.
Neulasta® is a prescription medication used to help reduce the chance of infection due to a low white blood cell count, in people with certain types of cancer (non-myeloid), who receive anti-cancer medicines (chemotherapy) that can cause fever and low blood cell count. Talk to your doctor to see if Neulasta® may be appropriate for you.
Do not take Neulasta® if you have had a serious allergic reaction to Neulasta® (pegfilgrastim) or to NEUPOGEN® (filgrastim). Talk to your doctor to see if Neulasta® may be appropriate for you.
Before you receive Neulasta®, tell your healthcare provider if you:
Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.
Learn more about what to discuss with your doctor with our doctor discussion guide here.
While chemotherapy is fighting cancer cells, it can also harm normal cells in the body that divide rapidly. Strong chemotherapy described as myelosuppressive (my-eh-lo-suh-press-iv) can lower the number of infection-fighting white blood cells called neutrophils in your body. White blood cells are a key part of your immune system.
Learn more about the role of white blood cells here.
Medications like Neulasta® may be called white blood cell boosters because they help your body produce more infection-fighting white blood cells during strong chemotherapy. These medications are man-made forms of a substance called granulocyte (gran-yoo-loh-site) colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) that is naturally produced by the body. They stimulate the growth of a type of white blood cell called neutrophils, which are important in the body's fight against infection.
A biosimilar is a highly similar version of an approved biologic medicine. Biologics and biosimilars are both made from living cells. Biosimilars must provide the same treatment benefit as the original biologic.
Only Neulasta has an FDA approved on-body injector called Neulasta Onpro.
Neulasta® works like a natural protein in your body to promote the growth of new white blood cells. Neulasta® helps protect against the risk of infection and is a prescription medication given approximately 24 hours after you receive chemotherapy treatment to help protect you through that cycle.
To learn more about how Neulasta® works, watch the video here.
In a key study of 928 patients with breast cancer who received up to 4 cycles of strong chemotherapy, one group of patients received Neulasta® (the study group), while the other group did not receive Neulasta® (the placebo group). Neulasta® was shown to help protect against the risk of infection with fever (sometimes called febrile neutropenia or neutropenic fever) through strong chemo treatment. The most common side effect experienced with Neulasta® was aching in the bones or muscles.
To see more data, view the information here.
The possible serious side effects of Neulasta® include:
If you have an allergic reaction during the delivery of Neulasta®, remove the on-body injector for Neulasta® by grabbing the edge of the adhesive pad and peeling off the on-body injector. Get emergency medical help right away.
Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away.
These are not all the possible side effects of Neulasta®. For more information, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
The most common side effect of Neulasta® is pain in the bones and in your arms and legs. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away. These are not all the possible side effects of Neulasta®. For more information, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
For additional Important Safety Information, see below.
No formal drug interaction studies have been conducted. When discussing your treatment options, tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.
The active ingredient in Neulasta® is pegfilgrastim. Inactive ingredients in Neulasta® include acetate, sorbitol, polysorbate 20, and sodium in water for injection.
Amgen Assist 360™ can help patients with insurance benefit verification and put them in touch with programs that may help them afford their prescribed medication, such as Neulasta FIRST STEP® or other independent nonprofit organizations.
Resources include referrals to independent nonprofit patient assistance programs. Eligibility for resources provided by independent nonprofit patient assistance programs is based on the nonprofits’ criteria. Amgen has no control over these programs and provides referrals as a courtesy only. Call 1-844-MYNEULASTA (1-844-696-3852) to learn more visit the Paying For Neulasta® Onpro® page here.
Neulasta® is given as an injection under the skin at least 24 hours after you receive chemotherapy treatment to provide protection through that cycle. There are two ways in which you may receive your Neulasta®— either Neulasta® by manual injection or Neulasta® Onpro®. Your healthcare provider will choose with you which one is most appropriate.
Neulasta® is given as an injection under the skin at least 24 hours after you receive chemotherapy treatment to provide protection through that cycle. There are two ways in which you may receive your Neulasta®— either Neulasta® by manual injection or Neulasta® Onpro®. Your healthcare provider will choose with you which one is most appropriate.
If you and your doctor decide to use Neulasta® Onpro®, you may not have to return to the doctor the day after chemotherapy just for a Neulasta® injection.
If, for any reason, you believe you did not receive your full dose of Neulasta® or that your on-body injector is not working correctly, immediately contact your healthcare provider.
To learn more about the benefits of staying home with Onpro®, click here.
*If, for any reason, you believe you did not receive your full dose of Neulasta® or that your on-body injector is not working correctly, immediately contact your healthcare provider, as an incomplete dose could increase infection risk.
Talk to your doctor for more information on Neulasta®, or call the Neulasta® Support Line toll-free 1-844-MYNEULASTA (1-844-696-3852).
The Neulasta® Onpro® device includes a single dose of Neulasta® and a single-use on-body injector.
For an overview of Neulasta® Onpro® view the page here.
The on-body injector is a small, lightweight delivery system applied to the skin during your chemo appointment. It's designed to automatically administer your dose of Neulasta® as an under-the-skin (subcutaneous) injection the next day, so you may not have to return to the doctor just for a Neulasta® injection.
Learn more about the on-body injector here.
Your doctor will use the prefilled syringe with Neulasta® co-packaged in the Neulasta® Onpro® kit to fill the on-body injector prior to applying it. The prefilled syringe with Neulasta® and the on-body injector are provided to your doctor as part of Neulasta® Onpro® kit. The on-body injector is applied directly to your skin using a self-adhesive backing.
Learn more about the on-body injector here.
The on-body injector for Neulasta® is programmed to deliver your dose about 27 hours after your doctor places the device on your skin. The dose of Neulasta® will be delivered over about 45 minutes. During dose delivery and for 1 hour after delivery, it is best to stay in a place where you or a caregiver can monitor the on-body injector for Neulasta® to make sure you receive your full dose of Neulasta® and watch for symptoms of an allergic reaction.
Learn more about the on-body injector here.
While the on-body injector for Neulasta® is in place you should avoid:
The on-body injector for Neulasta® contains batteries, electronics, and a needle. The on-body injector should be placed in a sharps disposal container, with an appropriate sized opening, regardless of whether or not the needle is exposed. Follow instructions provided by your healthcare provider or by state or local laws. To participate in Amgen’s voluntary disposal program, please call 1-844-MYNEULASTA (1-844-696-3852) or sign up now.
Talk to your doctor for more information on Neulasta®, or call the Amgen Medical Information line at (866) 822-4832.
*If, for any reason, you believe you did not receive your full dose of Neulasta® or that your on-body injector is not working correctly, immediately contact your healthcare provider, as an incomplete dose could increase infection risk.
If the status light is flashing red, you may not have received your full dose. Call your healthcare provider immediately.
If the adhesive becomes saturated with fluid, or you see dripping, your medicine may have leaked out.
Call your healthcare provider immediately if the on-body injector comes off the skin before your full dose delivery, DO NOT re-apply it.
If there is blood, press a clean cotton ball or gauze pad on the application site. Apply an adhesive bandage if needed.
Call your healthcare provider immediately if you experience persistent or worsening redness or tenderness at the application site, as this can be a sign of infection.
If you see the Status light is flashing red, your on-body injector is not functioning properly. Call your healthcare provider immediately as you may not have received a full dose.
Yes, but keep the on-body injector dry for the last 3 hours prior to the dose delivery start. Do not use hot tubs, whirlpools, or saunas while wearing the on-body injector. This may affect your medicine.
Check your status light occasionally for approximately 27 hours. Since it flashed slowly, watch for at least 10 seconds. If the status light is flashing green, it is okay.
Do not use hot tubs, whirlpools, or saunas while wearing the on-body injector. This may affect your medicine.
Your dose delivery will take around 45 minutes to complete. You may hear a series of clicks. This is okay. A beep will sound when the dose delivery is complete.
Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.
The most common side effect of Neulasta® is pain in your bones and in your arms and legs.
Important Safety Information
Do not take Neulasta® if you have had a serious allergic reaction to pegfilgrastim or filgrastim.
Before you receive Neulasta®, tell your healthcare provider about all of your healthcare conditions, including if you:
• Have a sickle cell disorder
• Have had severe skin reactions to acrylic adhesives