Home > Encyclopedia of Cancer > Filgrastim

Definition

Filgrastim is a medicine used to increase the white blood cell count in the body, which will help prevent infection. Filgrastim is known by the brand name Neupogen.

Purpose

Filgrastim is a drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to increase white blood cell counts. If a patient has a lower than normal white blood cell count it is referred to as neutropenia.

Filgrastim can be used to treat neutropenia caused by cancer chemotherapy treatment. In these patients the filgrastim increases the recovery of white blood cells after chemotherapy. Filgrastim can also be used to treat patients who have a neutropenia...