How much does Neulasta cost in Canada?

How much does Neulasta cost in Canada?

Neulasta is sold in Canada in a 0.6 mL single-use syringe of 10 mg/mL solution. According to publicly available information in 2008, Amgen sells Neulasta in Canada at a price of $2,380.00 per syringe (Liste des médicaments de l’Association québécoise des pharmaciens propriétaires, February 2008, Attachment 1).

What does Neulasta do to the body?

Neulasta (pegfilgrastim) is a colony-stimulating factor, a man-made form of a protein that stimulates the growth of white blood cells, used to decrease the incidence of infection, by treating neutropenia, a lack of certain white blood cells caused by receiving cancer chemotherapy.

When do Neulasta side effects begin?

The most common side effect of Neulasta is bone pain. And it typically affects your back and legs. You may be wondering how long this bone pain lasts. For most people, it starts within 2 days of receiving the drug.

Is Neulasta a chemotherapy drug?

This is not a chemotherapy drug. This medication is usually given at least 24 hours after chemotherapy to stimulate the growth of new, healthy, white blood cells (WBC). Pegfilgrastim is a longer acting form of filgrastim and the manufacturer recommends that it should not be given within 14 days prior to chemotherapy.

Is Neulasta necessary after chemo?

Both the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the National Comprehensive Cancer Network Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology recommend the Neulasta injection with every chemo cycle to guard against a serious infection manifested by a high fever called febrile neutropenia.

How effective is Neulasta?

Neulasta was as effective as filgrastim in reducing the duration of severe neutropenia. In both studies, the patients had severe neutropenia for around 1.7 days during their first chemotherapy cycle. This compares with around five to seven days when no stimulating factor is used.

What helps Neulasta bone pain?

Your doctor may prescribe a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) such as ibuprofen or naproxen to treat bone pain caused by Neulasta. Neulasta helps the body make more white blood cells by stimulating the immune system, which also creates histamines.

How painful is Neulasta?

Bone pain. Bone pain is a common side effect of Neulasta. In clinical studies, 31% of people who took Neulasta reported bone pain compared with 26% of people who took a placebo (treatment with no active drug).