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When does Neulasta reach peak levels?

Medically reviewed by Melisa Puckey, BPharm. Last updated on July 17, 2024.

Official Answer by Drugs.com

How long does it take for Neulasta (pegfilgrastim) to kick in?

How long does it take for Neulasta to reach peak levels?

Once Neulasta (pegfilgrastim) is given as a subcutaneous injection the time it takes

Neulasta is a long lasting medication so blood levels slowly decrease over approximately 2 weeks.

How long does it take Neulasta to start increasing Neutrophil levels?

Neulasta’s effect of increasing neutrophil levels starts to kick in on the first day of the injection and neutrophil levels reach peak at the same time as Neulasta reaches peak serum levels, which is about 24 hours after the Neulasta injection.
Once neutrophil levels have peaked, they start to decrease over the next 4 to 5 day due to the effect of chemo. Neutrophils are usually at their lowest levels on approximately around 5 to 6 days after Neulasta injection depending on each person’s individual response. At around 6 days after the Neulasta injection neutrophils levels start to increase once again.

Related questions

When does Neulasta On-body Injector (OBI) deliver the medicine and how long does it take to go in?

For the Neulasta to have its best effect it needs to go into the body 24 to 72 hours after chemotherapy.
The Neulasta On-body Injector is applied to the skin usually on the same day as chemotherapy, it is designed to automatically start dispensing the Neulasta 27 hours from the time it was applied and it is slowly released over a 45 minute period.

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What is the difference between Udenyca and Neulasta?

Udenyca (pegfilgrastim-cbqv) and Neulasta (pegfilgrastim) are both biological drugs containing pegfligrastim.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Udencya as a biosimilar of Neulasta, which means it is "highly similar to, and has no clinically meaningful differences from" Neulasta - it is just as safe and effective and used in the same way. The two drugs, however, are not interchangeable. Continue reading

What does cbqv stand for in pegfilgrastim?

The “cbqv” suffix is found in the biosimilar name for Udenyca (pegfilgrastim-cbqv), a biologic drug used to prevent neutropenia (a lack of certain white blood cells) caused by receiving chemotherapy. The suffix is used to distinguish its name from the original reference product, in this case Neulasta (pegfilgrastim), which has no suffix. The suffix on biosimilars helps healthcare providers and patients realize the medicine is an approved biosimilar, but the suffix has no specific meaning itself. Continue reading

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