As a result of the current COVID-19 pandemic, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network®
(NCCN®) and American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO®) have offered short-term
recommendations specific to issues with COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) for hematopoietic growth factors, as related to
the on-label use of our product. The recommendations include the expanded prophylactic use of granulocyte
colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), such as pegfilgrastim, to reduce the potential number and length of
hospitalizations for cancer patients undergoing various chemotherapy treatments. Please see important
limitations to these recommendations outlined below.
The short-term recommendations include a lowered threshold for the use of myeloid growth factors from those
chemotherapy regimens that have a 20% or higher risk of febrile neutropenia to now include those regimens
with a 10%-20% risk of febrile neutropenia, which includes all of the intermediate risk chemotherapy
regimens.1,2
CAUTION: Physicians may wish to avoid use of or discontinue G-CSF in cases of respiratory infection,
respiratory symptoms, or confirmed or suspected COVID-19 to avoid increase in pulmonary inflammation or
hypothetical risk of increasing inflammatory cytokines associated with adverse outcome.
NCCN is providing resources from the leading cancer centers that comprise the nonprofit alliance and
sharing them all online at NCCN.org/covid-19.
The site will be updated as new resources become available. For information specifically on changes to the
myeloid growth factors guidelines, please see NCCN.org/covid-19/pdf/HGF_COVID-19.pdf.
ASCO has provided guidance on how to care for patients experiencing potential neutropenic fever and
neutropenia who are affected by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. This guidance can be found online at ASCO.org.
If you have any questions on these guidelines, please call our Medical Affairs team at 1-800-483-3692.
References: 1. Referenced with permission from the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, Inc. © National Comprehensive Cancer Network, Inc. 2020. All rights reserved. Accessed April 9, 2020. To view the most recent and complete version of the guideline, go online to NCCN.org. NCCN makes no warranties of any kind whatsoever regarding their content, use or application and disclaims any responsibility for their application or use in any way. 2. COVID‑19 patient care information. American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). Updated April 23, 2020. Accessed May 1, 2020. https://www.asco.org/asco-coronavirus-information/care-individuals-cancer-during-covid-19