AUTHOR=Loteta Barbara , Pitino Annalisa , Pitea Martina , Alati Caterina , Tripepi Giovanni , Mico' Maria Caterina , Pellicano' Maria , Cogliandro Francesca , Porto Gaetana , Policastro Giorgia , Utano Giovanna , Delfino Ilaria Maria , Sgarlata Annalisa , Scopelliti Anna , Idato Aurora , Laenza Giovanni , Altomonte Maria , D'Arrigo Graziella , Gori Mercedes , Martino Massimo 

TITLE=Effectiveness of biosimilar pegfilgrastim in patients with lymphoma after high-dose chemotherapy and autologous stem cell transplantation: a real-life study

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Hematology

VOLUME=Volume 3 - 2024

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/hematology/articles/10.3389/frhem.2024.1441070

DOI=10.3389/frhem.2024.1441070

ISSN=2813-3935

ABSTRACT=ObjectivesTo evaluate the efficacy of biosimilar (BIO) pegfilgrastim (PEG) in lymphoma patients after autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT).Methods86 consecutive lymphoma patients who received BIO/PEG after ASCT were assessed. The primary endpoints of this study were the incidence of febrile neutropenia (FN) and time to neutrophil engraftment.ResultsMost patients were males (67.4%) with a median age of 48 years. FN occurred in 66 patients (76.7%), and most of the fever was grade 1-2. The median time to neutrophil engraftment was 9 days. The incidence of FN differs based on lymphoma type (p-value <0.01) and was higher in non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) than in Hodgkin Lymphoma (HL). No statistical difference was found between NHL and HL regarding the time to reach the neutrophil engraftment. Hospitalization lasted from a minimum of 9 to a maximum of 34 days. The restricted mean time to discharge was 15.9 days (95%CI 14-16), without differences based on lymphoma type.ConclusionAlthough the study has the significant limitation of not being randomized and not having a control arm, it highlights the efficacy and safety of a BIO-PEG formulation in patients with Lymphoma and undergoing ASCT.