Treating Radiation Exposure with Neupogen®

Key points

  • Neupogen® speeds up white blood cell creation and can be used to help prevent infection after radiation exposure.
  • Children and pregnant women should take Neupogen® with caution.
  • If you have abdominal pains on the left side of your body after taking Neupogen®, get medical help from a doctor.
An African American man receives an injection from a healthcare worker.

Treatment overview

Neupogen® (filgrastim) is a drug that stimulates the growth of white blood cells. Filgrastim is a man-made version of a certain natural substance made by your body that helps make more white blood cells. White blood cells are important to help you fight off infections, so Neupogen® makes patients less vulnerable to infections.

Since March 2015, Neupogen® has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat those people who have received high doses of radiation. A person who has received a very high dose of radiation may experience bone marrow destruction, possibly resulting in infection and uncontrolled bleeding.

How it works

If you receive very high doses of radiation, you will not be able to produce new white blood cells. This will lead to a drop in the number of white blood cells in circulation.

Your own bone marrow will eventually create new blood cells, but this is a slow process. Until the white blood cell counts rise sufficiently, you are at a high risk of death from infection.

Neupogen® can speed up the process of white blood cell creation, reducing the time that the patient is vulnerable to infection.

Taking Neupogen®

Before taking Neupogen®

You may be prescribed Neupogen® after a high dose of radiation from a radiation emergency.

Neupogen® is safe for most adults. Children and pregnant people should take Neupogen® with caution. It is not known if Neupogen® is excreted in human milk. If you are breastfeeding, you should talk to your doctor before taking Neupogen.®

You should not take Neupogen® if you have a known hypersensitivity to E. coli-derived proteins, filgrastim, or any component of filgrastim.

Using Neupogen®

Neupogen® is given by injection under the skin.

For doctors, the treatment plan is to give Neupogen® daily for up to 2 weeks, by injection in the deepest layer of the skin.

Side effects

The most common side effect of Neupogen® is mild to moderate bone pain.

Other possible side effects of Neupogen® include:

  • Fever
  • Diarrhea
  • Skin rash
  • Weakness

Enlargement and rupture of the spleen may rarely occur in patients who are receiving Neupogen.® Patients who develop abdominal pain, particularly in the left side, while receiving the drug should be evaluated by a doctor.

Getting Neupogen®

Neupogen® can only be administered by a doctor.

During a radiation emergency, doctors will provide Neupogen® treatment as needed.

You should not take Neupogen® if you have a known hypersensitivity to E. coli-derived proteins, filgrastim, or any component of filgrastim.

More detailed information on Neupogen® can be found at the Radiation Emergency Medical Management website.

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Content Source:
National Center for Environmental Health