Source: European Medicines Agency (EU) Revision Year: 2019 Publisher: Accord Healthcare S.L.U., World Trade Center, Moll de Barcelona, s/n, Edifici Est 6a planta, 08039 Barcelona, Spain
Hypersensitivity to the active substance or to any of the excipients listed in section 6.1.
Filgrastim should not be used to increase the dose of cytotoxic chemotherapy beyond established dosage regimens.
Filgrastim should not be administered to patients with severe congenital neutropenia who develop leukaemia or have evidence of leukaemic evolution.
Hypersensitivity, including anaphylactic reactions, occurring on initial or subsequent treatment have been reported in patients treated with filgrastim. Permanently discontinue filgrastim in patients with clinically significant hypersensitivity. Do not administer filgrastim to patients with a history of hypersensitivity to filgrastim or pegfilgrastim.
As with all therapeutic proteins, there is a potential for immunogenicity. Rates of generation of antibodies against filgrastim is generally low. Binding antibodies do occur as expected with all biologics; however, they have not been associated with neutralising activity at present.
G-CSF can promote growth of myeloid cells in vitro and similar effects may be seen on some non-myeloid cells in vitro.
The safety and efficacy of filgrastim administration in patients with myelodysplastic syndrome or chronic myelogenous leukaemia have not been established. Therefore, filgrastim is not indicated for use in these conditions. Particular care should be taken to distinguish the diagnosis of blast transformation of chronic myeloid leukaemia from acute myeloid leukaemia.
In view of limited safety and efficacy data in patients with secondary AML, filgrastim should be administered with caution. The safety and efficacy of filgrastim administration in de novo AML patients aged <55 years with good cytogenetics [t (8; 21), t (15; 17), and inv (16)] have not been established.
Osteoporosis:
Monitoring of bone density may be indicated in patients with underlying osteoporotic bone diseases who undergo continuous therapy with filgrastim for more than 6 months.
Pulmonary adverse effects:
Pulmonary adverse reactions, in particular interstitial pneumonia, have been reported after G-CSF administration. Patients with a recent history of pulmonary infiltrates or pneumonia may be at higher risk. The onset of pulmonary signs such as cough, fever and dyspnoea in association with radiological signs of pulmonary infiltrates and deterioration in pulmonary function may be preliminary signs of Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS). Filgrastim should be discontinued and appropriate treatment given in these cases.
Capillary leak syndrome:
Capillary leak syndrome has been reported after granulocyte colony-stimulating factor administration, and is characterised by hypotension, hypoalbuminaemia, oedema and hemoconcentration. Patients who develop symptoms of capillary leak syndrome should be closely monitored and receive standard symptomatic treatment, which may include a need for intensive care (see section 4.8).
Glomerulonephritis:
Glomerulonephritis has been reported in patients receiving filgrastim and pegfilgrastim. Generally, events of glomerulonephritis resolved after dose reduction or withdrawal of filgrastim and pegfilgrastim. Urinalysis monitoring is recommended.
Cases of splenomegaly and splenic rupture have been reported uncommonly following administration of filgrastim. Some cases of splenic rupture were fatal. Individuals receiving filgrastim who report left upper abdominal and/or shoulder tip pain should be evaluated for an enlarged spleen or splenic rupture. Dose reductions of Filgrastim have been noted to slow or stop the progression of splenic enlargement in patients with severe chronic neutropenia, and in 3% of patients a splenectomy was required.
White blood cell counts of 100 × 109/L or greater have been observed in less than 5% of patients receiving filgrastim at doses above 0.3 MIU/kg/day (3 μg/kg/day). No undesirable effects directly attributable to this degree of leukocytosis have been reported. However, in view of the potential risks associated with severe leukocytosis, a white blood cell count should be performed at regular intervals during filgrastim therapy. If leukocyte counts exceed 50 × 109/L after the expected nadir, filgrastim should be discontinued immediately. However, during the period of administration of filgrastim for PBPC mobilisation, filgrastim should be discontinued or its dosage should be reduced if the leukocyte counts rise to >70 × 109/L.
Special caution should be used when treating patients with high dose chemotherapy because improved tumour outcome has not been demonstrated and intensified doses of chemotherapeutic agents may lead to increased toxicities including cardiac, pulmonary, neurologic and dermatologic effects (please refer to the prescribing information of the specific chemotherapy agents used).
Treatment with filgrastim alone does not preclude thrombocytopenia and anaemia due to myelosuppressive chemotherapy. Because of the potential of receiving higher doses of chemotherapy (e.g. full doses on the prescribed schedule) the patient may be at greater risk of thrombocytopenia and anaemia. Regular monitoring of platelet count and haematocrit is recommended. Special care should be taken when administering single or combination chemotherapeutic agents which are known to cause severe thrombocytopenia.
The use of filgrastim-mobilised PBPCs has been shown to reduce the depth and duration of thrombocytopenia following myelosuppressive or myeloablative chemotherapy.
The effects of filgrastim in patients with substantially reduced myeloid progenitors have not been studied. Filgrastim acts primarily on neutrophil precursors to exert its effect in elevating neutrophil counts. Therefore, in patients with reduced precursors, neutrophil response may be diminished (such as those treated with extensive radiotherapy or chemotherapy, or those with bone marrow infiltration by tumour). Vascular disorders, including veno-occlusive disease and fluid volume disturbances, have been reported occasionally in patients undergoing high dose chemotherapy followed by transplantation.
There have been reports of graft versus host disease (GvHD) and fatalities in patients receiving G-CSF after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (see section 4.8 and 5.1).
Increased haematopoietic activity of the bone marrow in response to growth factor therapy has been associated with transient abnormal bone scans. This should be considered when interpreting bone-imaging results.
There are no prospectively randomised comparisons of the two recommended mobilisation methods (filgrastim alone, or in combination with myelosuppressive chemotherapy) within the same patient population. The degree of variation between individual patients and between laboratory assays of CD34+ cells mean that direct comparison between different studies is difficult. It is therefore difficult to recommend an optimal method. The choice of mobilisation method should be considered in relation to the overall objectives of treatment for an individual patient.
Patients who have undergone very extensive prior myelosuppressive therapy may not show sufficient mobilisation of PBPC to achieve the recommended minimum yield (2.0 × 106 CD34+ cells/kg) or acceleration of platelet recovery to the same degree.
Some cytotoxic agents exhibit particular toxicities to the haematopoietic progenitor pool and may adversely affect progenitor mobilisation. Agents such as melphalan, carmustine (BCNU) and carboplatin, when administered over prolonged periods prior to attempts at progenitor mobilisation, may reduce progenitor yield. However, the administration of melphalan, carboplatin or carmustine (BCNU) together with filgrastim has been shown to be effective for progenitor mobilisation. When peripheral blood progenitor cell transplantation is envisaged it is advisable to plan the stem cell mobilization procedure early in the treatment course of the patient. Particular attention should be paid to the number of progenitors mobilised in such patients before the administration of high-dose chemotherapy. If yields are inadequate, as measured by the criteria above, alternative forms of treatment not requiring progenitor support should be considered.
In assessing the number of progenitor cells harvested in patients treated with filgrastim, particular attention should be paid to the method of quantitation. The results of flow cytometric analysis of CD34+ cell numbers vary depending on the precise methodology used and therefore, recommendations of numbers based on studies in other laboratories need to be interpreted with caution.
Statistical analysis of the relationship between the number of CD34+ cells re-infused and the rate of platelet recovery after high-dose chemotherapy indicates a complex but continuous relationship.
The recommendation of a minimum yield of ≥2.0 × 106 CD34+ cells/kg is based on published experience resulting in adequate haematologic reconstitution. Yields in excess of this minimum yield appear to correlate with more rapid recovery; those below with slower recovery.
Mobilisation of PBPC does not provide a direct clinical benefit to normal donors and should only be considered for the purposes of allogeneic stem cell transplantation.
PBPC mobilisation should be considered only in donors who meet normal clinical and laboratory eligibility criteria for stem cell donation. Particular attention should be paid to haematological values and infectious diseases. The safety and efficacy of filgrastim has not been assessed in normal donors less than 16 years or greater than 60 years of age.
Thrombocytopenia has been reported very commonly in patients receiving filgrastim. Platelet counts should therefore be monitored closely.
Transient thrombocytopenia (platelets <100 × 109/L) following filgrastim administration and leukapheresis was observed in 35% of subjects studied. Among these, two cases of platelets <50 × 109/L were reported and attributed to the leukapheresis procedure. If more than one leukapheresis is required, particular attention should be paid to donors with platelets <100 × 109/L prior to leukapheresis; in general apheresis should not be performed if platelets are <75 × 109/L.
Leukapheresis should not be performed in donors who are anticoagulated or who have known defects in haemostasis. Filgrastim administration should be discontinued or its dosage should be reduced if the leukocyte counts rise to >70 × 109/L. Donors who receive G-CSFs for PBPC mobilisation should be monitored until haematological indices return to normal.
Transient cytogenetic abnormalities have been observed in normal donors following G-CSF use. The significance of these changes is unknown. Nevertheless, a risk of promotion of a malignant myeloid clone cannot be excluded. It is recommended that the apheresis centre perform a systematic record and tracking of the stem cell donors for at least 10 years to ensure monitoring of long-term safety.
Common but generally asymptomatic cases of splenomegaly and uncommon cases of splenic rupture have been reported in healthy donors and patients following administration of G-CSFs. Some cases of splenic rupture were fatal. Therefore, spleen size should be carefully monitored (e.g. clinical examination, ultrasound). A diagnosis of splenic rupture should be considered in donors and/or patients reporting left upper abdominal pain or shoulder tip pain.
In normal donors, dyspnoea has been reported commonly and other pulmonary adverse events (haemoptysis, pulmonary haemorrhage, lung infiltrates, and hypoxia) have been reported uncommonly. In case of suspected or confirmed pulmonary adverse events, discontinuation of treatment with filgrastim should be considered and appropriate medical care given.
Current data indicate that immunological interactions between the allogeneic PBPC graft and the recipient may be associated with an increased risk of acute and chronic GvHD when compared with bone marrow transplantation.
Thrombocytopenia has been reported commonly in patients receiving filgrastim. Platelet counts should be monitored closely, especially during the first few weeks of filgrastim therapy. Consideration should be given to intermittent cessation or decreasing the dose of filgrastim in patients who develop thrombocytopenia, i.e. platelets consistently <100,000/mm³. Other blood cell changes occur, including anaemia and transient increases in myeloid progenitors, which require close monitoring of cell counts.
Special care should be taken in the diagnosis of SCNs to distinguish them from other haematopoietic disorders such as aplastic anaemia, myelodysplasia and myeloid leukaemia. Complete blood cell counts with differential and platelet counts and an evaluation of bone marrow morphology and karyotype should be performed prior to treatment.
There was a low frequency (approximately 3%) of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) or leukaemia in clinical trial patients with SCN treated with filgrastim. This observation has only been made in patients with congenital neutropenia. MDS and leukaemias are natural complications of the disease and are of uncertain relation to filgrastim therapy. A subset of approximately 12% of patients who had normal cytogenetic evaluations at baseline was subsequently found to have abnormalities, including monosomy 7, on routine repeat evaluation. If patients with SCN develop abnormal cytogenetics, the risks and benefits of continuing filgrastim should be carefully weighed; filgrastim should be discontinued if MDS or leukaemia occurs. It is currently unclear whether long-term treatment of patients with SCN will predispose patients to cytogenetic abnormalities, MDS or leukaemic transformation. It is recommended to perform morphologic and cytogenetic bone marrow examinations in patients at regular intervals (approximately every 12 months).
Causes of transient neutropenia such as viral infections should be excluded.
Cases of splenomegaly have been reported very commonly and cases of splenic rupture have been reported commonly following administration of filgrastim. Individuals receiving filgrastim who report left upper abdominal and/ or shoulder tip pain should be evaluated for an enlarged spleen or splenic rupture.
Splenomegaly is a direct effect of treatment with filgrastim. Thirty-one percent (31%) of patients in studies were documented as having palpable splenomegaly. Increases in volume, measured radiographically occurred early during filgrastim therapy and tended to plateau later in treatment. Dose reductions were noted to slow or stop the progression of splenic enlargement and in 3% of patients a splenectomy was required. Spleen size should be evaluated regularly. Abdominal palpation should be sufficient to detect abnormal increases in splenic volume.
Haematuria was common and proteinuria occurred in a small number of patients. Regular urinalysis should be performed to monitor this event.
The safety and efficacy in neonates and patients with autoimmune neutropenia have not been established.
Cases of splenomegaly have been reported commonly following administration of filgrastim. Individuals receiving filgrastim who report left upper abdominal and/ or shoulder tip pain should be evaluated for an enlarged spleen or splenic rupture.
ANC should be monitored closely, especially during the first few weeks of filgrastim therapy. Some patients may respond very rapidly and with a considerable increase in neutrophil count to the initial dose of filgrastim. It is recommended that the ANC is measured daily for the first 2 to 3 days of filgrastim administration. Thereafter, it is recommended that the ANC is measured at least twice weekly for the first two weeks and subsequently once per week or once every other week during maintenance therapy. During intermittent dosing with 30 MU (300 microgram)/day of filgrastim, there can be wide fluctuations in the patient’s ANC over time. In order to determine a patient’s trough or nadir ANC, it is recommended that blood samples are taken for ANC measurement immediately prior to any scheduled dosing with filgrastim.
Treatment with filgrastim alone does not preclude thrombocytopenia and anaemia due to myelosuppressive medicinal products. As a result of the potential to receive higher doses or a greater number of these medicinal products with filgrastim therapy, the patient may be at higher risk of developing thrombocytopenia and anaemia. Regular monitoring of blood counts is recommended (see above).
Neutropenia may be due to bone marrow infiltrating opportunistic infections such as Mycobacterium avium complex or malignancies such as lymphoma. In patients with known bone marrow-infiltrating infections or malignancy, consider appropriate therapy for treatment of the underlying condition in addition to administration of filgrastim for treatment of neutropenia. The effects of filgrastim on neutropenia due to bone marrow-infiltrating infection or malignancy have not been well established.
Sickle cells crises, in some cases fatal, have been reported with the use of filgrastim in subjects with sickle cell trait or sickle cell disease. Physicians should exercise caution when considering the use of filgrastim in patients with sickle cell trait or sickle cell disease and only after careful evaluation of the potential risks and benefits.
Accofil contains sorbitol (E420) as an excipient at a concentration of 50 mg/ml. Patients with rare hereditary problems of fructose intolerance should not use this medicinal product.
The needle cover of the pre-filled syringe contains dry natural rubber (a derivative of latex), which may cause allergic reactions.
In order to improve the traceability of granulocyte-colony stimulating factors (G-CSFs), the trade name of the administered product should be clearly recorded in the patient file.
Aortitis has been reported after G-CSF administration in healthy subjects and in cancer patients. The symptoms experienced included fever, abdominal pain, malaise, back pain and increased inflammatory markers (e.g. C-reactive protein and white blood cell count). In most cases aortitis was diagnosed by CT scan and generally resolved after withdrawal of G-CSF. See also section 4.8.
The safety and efficacy of filgrastim given on the same day as myelosuppressive cytotoxic chemotherapy have not been definitively established. In view of the sensitivity of rapidly dividing myeloid cells to myelosuppressive cytotoxic chemotherapy, the use of filgrastim is not recommended in the period from 24 hours before to 24 hours after chemotherapy. Preliminary evidence from a small number of patients treated concomitantly with filgrastim and 5-Fluorouracil indicates that the severity of neutropenia may be exacerbated.
Possible interactions with other haematopoietic growth factors and cytokines have not yet been investigated in clinical trials.
Since lithium promotes the release of neutrophils, it is likely to potentiate the effect of filgrastim. Although this interaction has not been formally investigated, there is no evidence that such an interaction is harmful.
There are no or limited data from the use of filgrastim in pregnant women. Studies in animals have shown reproductive toxicity. An increased incidence of embryo-loss has been observed in rabbits at high multiples of the clinical exposure and in the presence of maternal toxicity (see section 5.3). There are reports in the literature where the transplacental passage of filgrastim in pregnant women has been demonstrated.
Filgrastim is not recommended during pregnancy.
It is unknown whether filgrastim/metabolites are excreted in human milk. A risk to the newborns/infants cannot be excluded. A decision must be made whether to discontinue breastfeeding O r to discontinue/abstain from filgrastim therapy taking into account the benefit of breast feeding for the child and the benefit of therapy for the woman.
Filgrastim did not affect reproductive performance or fertility in male or female rats (see section 5.3).
Accofil may have a minor influence on the ability to drive and use machines.
Dizziness may occur following the administration of Accofil (see section 4.8).
The most serious adverse reactions that may occur during Filgrastim treatment include: anaphylactic reaction, serious pulmonary adverse events (including interstitial pneumonia and ARDS), capillary leak syndrome, severe splenomegaly/splenic rupture, transformation to myelodysplastic syndrome or leukaemia in SCN patients, GvHD in patients receiving allogeneic bone marrow transfer or peripheral blood cell progenitor cell transplant and sickle cell crisis in patients with sickle cell disease.
The most commonly reported adverse reactions are pyrexia, musculoskeletal pain (which includes bone pain, back pain, arthralgia, myalgia, pain in extremity, musculoskeletal pain, musculoskeletal chest pain, neck pain), anaemia, vomiting, and nausea. In clinical trials in cancer patients musculoskeletal pain was mild or moderate in 10%, and severe in 3% of patients.
The data in the tables below describe adverse reactions reported from clinical trials and spontaneous reporting. Within each frequency grouping undesirable effects are presented in order of decreasing seriousness.
The assessment of undesirable effects is based on the following frequency data:
Very common: ≥1/10
Common: ≥1/100 to <1/10
Uncommon: ≥1/1,000 to <1/100
Rare: ≥1/10,000 to <1/1,000
Very rare: <1/10,000
Not known: cannot be estimated from the available data.
Very common: Thrombocytopenia, Anaemiae
Common: Splenomegalya, Haemoglobin decreasede
Uncommon: Leukocytosisa
Rare: Splenic rupturea, Sickle cell anaemia with crisis
Uncommon: Graft versus Host Diseaseb, Drug hypersensitivitya, Hypersensitivity
Rare: Anaphylactic reaction
Common: Decreased Appetitee, Blood lactate dehydrogenase increased
Uncommon: Hyperuricaemia, Blood uric acid increased
Rare: Blood glucose decreased, Pseudogouta (Chondrocalcinosis Pyrophosphate), Fluid volume disturbances
Very common: Headachea
Common: Dizziness, Hypoaesthesia, Paraesthesia
Common: Hypotension, Hypertension
Uncommon: Veno-occlusive diseased
Rare: Capillary leak syndromea, Aortitis
Common: Insomnia
Common: Haemoptysis, Dyspnoea, Cougha, Oropharyngeal paina,e, Epistaxis
Uncommon: Acute respiratory distress syndromea, Respiratory failurea, Pulmonary oedemaa, Interstitial lung diseasea, Lung infiltrationa, Pulmonary haemorrhage, Hypoxia
Very common: Diarrhoeaa,e, Vomitinga,e, Nauseaa
Common: Constipatione, Oral Pain
Common: Blood alkaline phosphatase increased, Hepatomegaly
Uncommon: Gamma-glutamyl transferase increased, Aspartate aminotransferase increased
Very common: Alopeciaa
Common: Rasha, Erythema
Uncommon: Rash maculopapular
Rare: Sweets syndrome (acute febrile neutrophilic dermatosis), Cutaneous vasculitisa
Very common: Musculoskeletal painc
Common: Muscle spasms
Uncommon: Osteoporosis
Rare: Bone density decreased, Exacerbation of rheumatoid arthritis
Common: Dysuria, Haematuria
Uncommon: Proteinuria
Rare: Urine abnormality, Glomerulonephritis
Very common: Fatiguea, Mucosal inflammationa, Pyrexia
Common: Chest paina, Astheniaa, Paina, Malaisee, Oedema peripherale
Uncommon: Injection site reaction
Common: Transfusion reactione
Sepsis, Bronchitis, Upper respiratory tract infection, Urinary tract infection
a See section 4.8, Description of selected adverse reactions
b There have been reports of GvHD and fatalities in patients after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (see section 4.8, Description of selected adverse reactions)
c Includes bone pain, back pain, arthralgia, myalgia, pain in extremity, musculoskeletal pain, musculoskeletal chest pain, neck pain
d Cases were observed in the post-marketing setting with filgrastim in patients undergoing bone marrow transplant or PBPC mobilization
e Adverse events with higher incidence in Filgrastim patients compared to placebo and associated with the sequelae of the underlying malignancy or cytotoxic chemotherapy
There have been reports of GvHD and fatalities in patients receiving G-CSF after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (see sections 4.4 and 5.1).
Cases of capillary leak syndrome have been reported in the post marketing setting with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor use. These have generally occurred in patients with advanced malignant diseases, sepsis, taking multiple chemotherapy medications or undergoing apheresis (see section 4.4).
In randomised, placebo-controlled clinical studies, filgrastim did not increase the incidence of undesirable effects associated with cytotoxic chemotherapy. In those clinical trials, undesirable effects reported with equal frequency in cancer patients treated with filgrastim/chemotherapy and placebo/chemotherapy included nausea and vomiting, alopecia, diarrhoea, fatigue, anorexia, mucositis, headache, cough, skin rash, chest pain, generalised weakness, sore throat, constipation and pain.
In the post-marketing setting cutaneous vasculitis has been reported in patients treated with filgrastim. The mechanism of vasculitis in patients receiving filgrastim is unknown. The frequency is estimated as uncommon from clinical trial data.
Cases of Sweets syndrome (acute febrile dermatosis) have been reported in the post-marketing setting. The frequency is estimated as uncommon from clinical trial data.
In clinical studies and the post-marketing setting pulmonary adverse effects including interstitial lung disease, pulmonary oedema, and lung infiltration have been reported in some cases with an outcome of respiratory failure or acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), which may be fatal (see section 4.4)
Cases of splenomegaly and splenic rupture have been reported uncommonly following administration of filgrastim. Some cases of splenic rupture were fatal (see section 4.4).
Hypersensitivity-type reactions including anaphylaxis, rash, urticaria, angioedema, dyspnoea and hypotension occurred on initial or subsequent treatment in clinical studies and in post-marketing experience. Overall, reports were more common after intravenous administration. In some cases, symptoms have recurred with rechallenge, suggesting a causal relationship. Filgrastim should be permanently discontinued in patients who experience a serious allergic reaction.
In the post-marketing setting, isolated cases of sickle cell crises have been reported in patients with sickle cell disease (see section 4.4). The frequency is estimated as uncommon from clinical trial data.
Cutaneous vasculitis has been reported in patients treated with Filgrastim. The mechanism of vasculitis in patients receiving Filgrastim is unknown. During long term use cutaneous vasculitis has been reported in 2% of SCN patients.
Pseudogout has been reported in cancer patients treated with filgrastim, and the frequency is estimated as uncommon from clinical trial data.
Leukocytosis (WBC >50 × 109/L) was observed in 41% of donors and transient thrombocytopenia (platelets <100 × 109/L) following filgrastim treatment and leukapheresis was observed in 35% of donors.
Data from clinical studies in paediatric patients indicate that the safety and efficacy of filgrastim are similar in both adults and children receiving cytotoxic chemotherapy suggesting no age-related differences in the pharmacokinetics of filgrastim. The only consistently reported adverse event was musculoskeletal pain which is no different from the experience in the adult population. There is insufficient data to further evaluate filgrastim use in paediatric subjects.
Geriatric Use:
No overall differences in safety or effectiveness were observed between subjects over 65 years of age compared to younger adult (>18 years of age) subjects receiving cytotoxic chemotherapy and clinical experience has not identified differences in the responses between elderly and younger adult patients. There are insufficient data to evaluate Accofil use in geriatric subjects for other approved Accofil indications.
Paediatric SCN patients:
Cases of decreased bone density and osteoporosis have been reported in paediatric patients with severe chronic neutropenia receiving chronic treatment with filgrastim.
Reporting suspected adverse reactions after authorisation of the medicinal product is important. It allows continued monitoring of the benefit/risk balance of the medicinal product. Healthcare professionals are asked to report any suspected adverse reactions via the national reporting system listed in Appendix V.
Accofil must not be diluted with saline solutions.
Diluted filgrastim may be adsorbed to glass and plastic materials.
This medicinal product must not be mixed with other medicinal products except those mentioned in section 6.6.
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