Filgrastim
NeupogenRCSB PDB 1RHG · 3D model
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A lab-made copy of a natural body signal that tells the bone marrow to produce more infection-fighting white blood cells.
How it works
Filgrastim is a lab-made copy of a signal your body already uses, called G-CSF, that tells the bone marrow to make more infection-fighting white blood cells called neutrophils. It acts specifically on the cells that are already becoming neutrophils, pushing them to mature faster and work better, without meaningfully revving up production of other blood cell types like red cells or platelets. That focused effect is what makes it useful for boosting neutrophils specifically after they've been wiped out by chemotherapy or another cause.
What it’s used for
Used to boost white blood cell counts in several situations: for cancer patients on chemotherapy to lower infection risk, for leukemia patients recovering from treatment, for bone marrow transplant patients, to help collect stem cells from donors, for people with certain chronic neutrophil disorders, and for people who've been exposed to radiation doses that damage bone marrow.
- Mechanism
- G-CSF receptor agonist
- Drug class
- Peptide analog
- Therapeutic area
- Hematology