Oncology & Hematology Coding Alert

What is Zarxio? Zarxio is a biosimilar filgrastim produced by Escherichia coli bacteria that have been inserted in the human G-CSF gene. 

When will your physician administer Zarxio? Your physician will administer Zarxio for the treatment of Neutropenia. This is a condition where a type of white blood cells called neutrophils are not produced in adequate amounts. Neutropenia is a common consequence to drugs used to treat cancer. 

The FDA approved filgrastim-G-CSF (ZARXIO™) on March 6, 2015. It is approved for all indications included in its reference product’s (Neupogen®) label. Zarxio is indicated to:

1) Decrease the incidence of infection in patients with nonmyeloid malignancies receiving myelosuppressive anti-cancer drugs associated with a significant incidence of severe neutropenia with a fever; 

2) Reduce the duration of neutrophil recovery and the duration of fever following induction or consolidation chemotherapy treatment of adults with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML);

3) Reduce the duration of neutropenia and neutropenia-related clinical squeal; 

4) Mobilize hematopoietic progenitor cells into the peripheral blood for collection by leukapheresis; and

5) Reduce the incidence and duration of sequelae of neutropenia in symptomatic patients with congenital neutropenia, cyclic neutropenia, or idiopathic neutropenia. 

Your physician will administer Zarxio as an injection administered via subcutaneous or intravenous routes.

Zarxio is supplied as single-dose prefilled syringes containing 300mcg/.5mL or 480mcg/.8mL of filgrastim. 

Read more at: http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2015/125553lbl.pdf.