Filgrastim for the treatment of hematopoietic acute radiation syndrome

Drugs Today (Barc). 2015 Sep;51(9):537-48. doi: 10.1358/dot.2015.51.9.2386730.

Abstract

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved Neupogen(®) (filgrastim) for the treatment of patients with radiation-induced myelosuppression following a radiological/nuclear incident. It is the first medical countermeasure currently approved by the FDA for this indication under the criteria of the FDA "animal rule". This article summarizes the consequences of high-dose radiation exposure, a description of the hematopoietic acute radiation syndrome (H-ARS), the use of hematopoietic growth factors in radiation accident victims and current available treatments for H-ARS with an emphasis on the use of Neupogen in this scenario.

Keywords: Acute radiation syndrome; Filgrastim; PEG-G-CSF; t-metHuG-CSF.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Acute Radiation Syndrome / blood
  • Acute Radiation Syndrome / diagnosis
  • Acute Radiation Syndrome / drug therapy*
  • Animals
  • Biosimilar Pharmaceuticals / adverse effects
  • Biosimilar Pharmaceuticals / therapeutic use*
  • Filgrastim / adverse effects
  • Filgrastim / therapeutic use*
  • Hematopoiesis / drug effects*
  • Hematopoiesis / radiation effects
  • Hematopoietic Stem Cells / diagnostic imaging
  • Hematopoietic Stem Cells / drug effects*
  • Humans
  • Radiation Injuries, Experimental
  • Radiography
  • Terrorism
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Biosimilar Pharmaceuticals
  • Filgrastim