Mecapegfilgrastim in Chemotherapy-Induced Neutropenia: A Profile of Its Use in China

<b>Compliance with Ethical Standards</b> <p><b>Funding</b> The preparation of this review was not supported by any external funding.</p> <p><b>Conflicts of interest</b><b><i> </i></b>Zaina T. Al-Salama and Susan J. Keam are salaried employees of Adis/Springer, are responsible for the article content and declare no relevant conflicts of interest.</p><p><br></p><p>Additional information about this Adis Drug Review can be found <a href="http://www.springer.com/gp/adis/products-services/adis-journals-newsletters/adis-drug-reviews"><b>here</b></a></p><p><br></p><p>Abstract<br></p><p></p><p><br></p><p>Mecapegfilgrastim (HHPG-19K) is a long-acting pegylated recombinant human granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (rhG-CSF) that is administered subcutaneously as prophylaxis once per chemotherapy cycle as a weight-adjusted dose of 100 µg/kg or as a 6 mg fixed dose. It is approved in China to reduce the incidence of infection, as manifested by febrile neutropenia, in patients with non-myeloid malignancies receiving myelosuppressive anti-cancer therapy associated with a clinically significant incidence of febrile neutropenia. In phase III trials, once per cycle prophylaxis with mecapegfilgrastim was more effective than placebo in reducing the incidence of grade ≥ 3 neutropenia in cycle 1 in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer and was more effective than filgrastim at reducing the mean duration of grade ≥ 3 neutropenia in cycle 1 in patients with breast cancer. The tolerability and safety profiles of mecapegfilgrastim were similar to those of filgrastim, with no unexpected adverse events (AEs); most adverse reactions in cycle 1 were mild or moderate in severity. Thus, mecapegfilgrastim is an effective and generally well tolerated treatment option for patients with non-myeloid malignancies receiving myelosuppressive chemotherapy, and extends the options available for this indication in China. </p><p> <br></p><p>© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2019</p><p> <br></p><p><br></p><p></p><p><br></p><p><br></p>