Immunogenicity Assessment of Peg-filgrastim vs. Neulasta® as Adjunct to Chemotherapy in Patients With Breast Cancer

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Patients must be able and willing to give written informed consent prior to any study related procedures
2. Ambulatory, female patients with an age ≥ 18 years
3. Patients with histologically or cytologically proven diagnosis of breast cancer who are eligible for neoadjuvant or adjuvant chemotherapy.
4. Patients who are planned and eligible to receive/ receiving myelosuppressive chemotherapy regimen that contains at least one chemotherapeutic agent from docetaxel/ paclitaxel / doxorubicin/ cyclophosphamide/ epirubicin
5. Patients who have not received any hematopoietic growth factors (e.g. G-CSF, PegGCSF, erythropoietin) or cytokines (e.g. interleukins, interferons) anytime in the past
6. Patients with baseline WBC ≥ LLN/ 3.5 x 109/L, ANC of ≥ 1.5 x 109/L, platelet count ≥ 100 x 109/L and hemoglobin ≥ 8.5 g/dL
7. Patients with ECOG Performance status of ≤ 2
8. Patient who have estimated life expectancy of more than six months
9. No evidences of hemorrhage

Exclusion Criteria:

1 Male patients

2\. Hypersensitivity to any of the study drugs or its components like E.coli proteins or similar product

3\. Patients weighing \<45 Kg

4\. Patients with myeloid malignancies and myelodysplasia or evidence of metastatic disease in bone marrow or brain

5\. Patients currently receiving radiation therapy or have completed radiation therapy within 4 weeks before study entry or likely to receive radiotherapy during the study

6\. Patients with prior bone marrow or stem cell transplantation

7\. Patients with chronic use of oral corticosteroids (Except ≤ 20 mg/day dose of prednisolone/ equivalent steroids), immunotherapy, monoclonal antibody therapy and/or biological therapy or use of any other pegylated drug.

8\. Patients with history of systemic antibiotic use within 72 hours prior to chemotherapy

9\. Patients with any active infection which may require systemic antimicrobial therapy. Patients with inadequate hepatic and renal function \[defined as Alkaline Phosphatase \> 2.5 X Upper limits of normal (ULN), serum SGOT \> 2.5 X ULN, SGPT \> 2.5 X ULN, Total bilirubin \> 1.5 X ULN and Creatinine \> 1.5 X ULN of the reference range at the screening assessment\]

10\. Patients with seropositivity for HIV or HBV or HCV

11\. Known cases of Sickle Cell Anemia

12\. Patients with radiographic evidence of active pulmonary infections and/or recent history of pneumonia within 1 month of screening

13\. Patients with clinically evident splenomegaly confirmed subsequently by ultrasonography

14\. Patients with any other clinically significant disease(s) which, in the opinion of the investigator, could compromise the patient's involvement in the study or overall interpretation of the data. \[for e.g. uncontrolled hematologic, renal, hepatic, endocrine, neurologic, psychiatric, metabolic, pulmonary, cardiovascular disease/impaired functioning or history of any autoimmune disease\]

15\. Patients who have participated in another therapeutic clinical study within the past 30 days prior to screening, or are likely to simultaneously participate in another therapeutic clinical study

16\. Patients who are doubtful to comply with study procedures for mental, psychological or social reasons.

17\. Women of child-bearing potential who are not willing to follow a reliable \& effective contraceptive measure during the course of the study \& at least 3 months after the last dose of study drug.

18\. Pregnant and Breast feeding women.