About STIMUFEND® (pegfilgrastim-fpgk)
What is STIMUFEND?
STIMUFEND is a man-made form of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF). G-CSF is a substance produced by the body. It stimulates the growth of neutrophils, a type of white blood cell important in the body’s fight against infection.
Pegfilgrastim is widely used and is given as an injection once every chemotherapy cycle to help prevent infection as indicated by febrile neutropenia.
STIMUFEND is a biosimilar of the original product, Neulasta® (pegfilgrastim).
What is a biosimilar?
A biosimilar is a medicine that is highly similar to the original product with no clinically meaningful differences in safety, purity, or effectiveness.
"FDA requires biosimilar and interchangeable biological products meet the Agency’s rigorous approval standards. That means patients and health care professionals will be able to rely upon the safety and effectiveness of the biosimilar or interchangeable product, just as they would the reference [original] product."
How do I receive STIMUFEND?
You will receive STIMUFEND at least 24 hours after your chemotherapy treatment.
- STIMUFEND needs to be injected only once during each chemotherapy cycle
- STIMUFEND is administered as an injection under the skin (subcutaneous injection) by your healthcare provider
Ask your healthcare provider about being able to administer STIMUFEND at home, by yourself, or with the help of your caregiver.
At home, store STIMUFEND in its original carton in the refrigerator between 36°F and 46°F (2°C to 8°C).
Take STIMUFEND out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before use and allow it to reach room temperature before preparing an injection.
Administration sites
Your healthcare provider, you, or your caregiver may administer STIMUFEND at the following injection sites:
By healthcare provider or caregiver only (Figure 1):
- Backs of the arms
- Upper outer areas of the buttocks
By healthcare provider, caregiver, or you (Figure 2):
- Tops of the thighs
- Stomach area (2 inches away from the belly button)
