What Neupogen is and what it is used for

Neupogen is a white blood cell growth factor (granulocyte colony stimulating factor) and belong to a group of medicines called cytokines. Growth factors are proteins that are produced naturally in the body but they can also be made using biotechnology for use as a medicine. Neupogen works by encouraging the bone marrow to produce more white blood cells.

A reduction in the number of white blood cells (neutropenia) can occur for several reasons and makes your body less able to fight infection. Neupogen stimulates the bone marrow to produce new white cells quickly.

Neupogen can be used:

• to increase the number of white blood cells after treatment with chemotherapy to help prevent infections;
• to increase the number of white blood cells after a bone marrow transplant to help prevent infections;
• before high-dose chemotherapy to make the bone marrow produce more stem cells which can be collected and given back to you after your treatment. These can be taken from you or from a donor. The stem cells will then go back into the bone marrow and produce blood cells;
• to increase the number of white blood cells if you suffer from severe chronic neutropenia to help prevent infections;
• in patients with advanced HIV infection which will help reduce the risk of infections.