US Approves Immunex' Liquid Leukine

Immunex Corporation has been granted US Food and Drug Administration approval to market a liquid, multiple-dose formulation of Leukine (sargramostim), a yeast-derived granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor for bone marrow and peripheral blood progenitor cell transplantations, and for the treatment of chemotherapy-induced neutropenia in older adult patients with acute myelogenous leukemia.

The introduction of the liquid formulation will "provide a safe, more convenient product for health care institutions," said Clyde Buchanan, director of pharmacy at Emory University Hospital in the USA, and will also make it easier for patients to administer at home. The previous lyophilized product, which has been on the market since 1991 in the USA, required reconstitution. The product's capability for multiple dosing will add a cost-effectiveness benefit, says the company. The wholesale price for each 5mcg vial will be $177.37, said a spokeswoman.