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

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 managing chemotherapy-induced neutropenia in China.