Pegfilgrastim Administered on the Same Day as Chemotherapy in Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma

This was a multicenter, double-blind, randomized, phase 2 study of pegfilgrastim given either the same day as or the day after a chemotherapy regimen consisting of cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, prednisone, and rituximab (R-CHOP).

Chemotherapy was administered every 21 days for up to 6 cycles in subjects with aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL; mantle cell or diffuse large B-cell lymphoma). Subjects were administered R-CHOP on day 1 of each cycle. All subjects were randomized to 1 of 2 treatment arms: arm A subjects were administered pegfilgrastim 6 mg on day 1 of each cycle (within 4 hours of chemotherapy completion); arm B subjects were administered pegfilgrastim 6 mg on day 2 of each cycle (at least 24 hours after chemotherapy completion). All subjects were administered placebo on the day they did not receive pegfilgrastim. A total of 77 subjects were enrolled at 24 centers across the US. Protocol treatment duration for subjects was up to 18 weeks (6 three-week cycles).

Inclusion criteria

- Histologically proven mantle cell lymphoma or histologically proven diffuse large B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) according to the REAL classification - Measurable and/or evaluable disease - Previously untreated patients Exclusion Criteria: - Burkitt's or B-lymphoblastic lymphoma - Central nervous system (CNS) involvement - Active infection requiring treatment with systemic anti-infectives within 72 hours of chemotherapy - Prior malignancy within the last 5 years - T-cell lymphoma or history of indolent lymphoma - Prior bone marrow or stem cell transplantation - Known sensitivity to E. coli derived drug products