Meet Courtney

[Music]

Courtney VO:

Hi, my name is Courtney. I'd like to share a little bit about my story of what it's like being a caregiver for someone going through treatment for multiple myeloma.

When Angelo was initially diagnosed with multiple myeloma, we were living in an area where we didn't have that family support around us. I leaned heavily on friends. The kids at the time were in grade school, so we leaned on the teachers, and I found it very important for me as a caregiver to share our story because I knew that I couldn't do it alone. I researched what kind of support groups were out there for individuals who have young children. How do you explain the process to your kids so that they aren't scared?

The cancer center that we were working through is approximately three hours from our home. So we had to mobilize and establish support for our kids. And that's primarily a lot of what the role as a caregiver is at that point in time—you're making sure logistically you have everything in place. Whether it be rides for your kids, transportation for the patient.

[We will hear the rest of Courtney's story after this select Important Safety Information.]

VO:

ABECMA, also known as idecabtagene vicleucel, is a prescription medicine used to treat adults with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma (MM), when: you have tried two or more kinds of treatments that have not worked or have stopped working, and you have received at least one therapy from each of these drug classes: an immunomodulatory agent, a proteasome inhibitor, an anti-CD38 antibody.

Courtney VO:

We received word from Angelo's doctors that he was ready to be mobilized for Abecma therapy. That got us to the initial point of getting Angelo established and going to the cancer center to have his T-cells removed so that they could be sent off for preparation and transformation into Car-T cells.

How I was really supporting him was working with his care team. It was really important for us to keep him well and healthy because we knew that we needed to stay on target with his calendar for treatment.

Each and every day your goal for that day becomes about the patient. Making sure you keep germs out of the house. Keeping your house well cleaned. Making sure that you have meal prep.

Once we got to the point where then his cells were available and ready to infuse, for me as the caregiver, it was being there, being present, to make sure that mentally that they were doing well, but also being present to be able to talk to the doctors. And then once he was discharged, monitoring his temperature, checking in with him, how is he feeling, making sure that he's properly nourished and staying well hydrated.

I found that entering into that caregiver role wasn't just about making sure that the person remained physically healthy, but that mentally as well, and finding ways to give them purpose and a will to want to continue fighting and to continue on that journey.

When they're feeling down, you need to encourage them and boost their spirits. And sometimes that's extremely difficult because you, as the caregiver, are feeling down, too. You lose sight of yourself and you lose sight of your own individual needs. And that's really difficult.

[clip of Courtney with Angelo wearing winter jackets walking near the water]

It's very easy to become frustrated as a caregiver. You hear the doctors say it's important that your energy level is going to be low, but you need to get up. You need to walk. You need to hydrate. So you're constantly reminding the patient of how important those various activities are. And there are some times where they just don't want to do it.

What I found extremely helpful to me was the close contact and care and support that was provided to us. It wasn't just focused on Angelo. They constantly were reaching out with me, building that relationship, making sure that I had the resources and support that I needed as a caregiver.

I'm stronger at times than I thought I could be. But looking back now, I think, geez, I did that. I got through that, I can really do anything.

Being there for a loved one, there's nothing more rewarding than that.

[Music]

VO:

WARNING: RISK OF SERIOUS SIDE EFFECTS

ABECMA may cause side effects that are life-threatening and can lead to death, including risk of cytokine release syndrome, also called CRS, neurologic toxicity, infections, low blood cell counts, also called cytopenia, and certain types of blood cancers.

Call your healthcare provider or get emergency help right away if you experience any of the following symptoms: trouble breathing, fever (100.4°F or 38°C or higher), chills or shivering, confusion, feeling dizzy or lightheaded, shaking or twitching (tremor), fast or irregular heartbeat, feeling severely tired or weak, severe nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea.

Because of the risk of serious side effects, your healthcare provider will give you an ABECMA Patient Wallet Card that describes symptoms to look out for that require emergency medical care right away. It's important that you tell your healthcare providers that you have received ABECMA and to show them your ABECMA Patient Wallet Card. Your healthcare provider may give you other medicines to treat your side effects.

How will I receive ABECMA?

ABECMA is a CAR (chimeric antigen receptor) T-cell therapy. It is a prescription medicine made using your own white blood cells. These white blood cells have been changed (genetically modified) to find and attack your multiple myeloma cells. ABECMA is given as an intravenous (IV) infusion.

Before receiving your ABECMA infusion: Your blood cells will be collected by a process called leukapheresis, sometimes called apheresis.

Your blood cells will be sent to a manufacturing site to make your ABECMA. Based on clinical trial experience, your ABECMA will be ready to be shipped back to your healthcare provider about 4 weeks after your cells are received at the manufacturing site, but the time may vary. Your healthcare provider will give you 3 days of chemotherapy to prepare your body before receiving your ABECMA treatment.

On the day of your ABECMA infusion: you will receive ABECMA through a tube (catheter) placed into your vein (intravenous infusion). Your dose of ABECMA may be given in one or more infusion bags. Each infusion bag usually takes up to 30 minutes.

After receiving your ABECMA infusion: For at least 1 week (7 days) after receiving ABECMA, you will stay at the facility where you received your treatment and be monitored daily. For 2 weeks after receiving ABECMA, you should plan to stay close (within 2 hours) to the facility where you received your treatment. During this time, your healthcare provider will check to see that your treatment is working and help you with any side effects that may occur.

What should I avoid after receiving ABECMA?

Do not drive for at least 2 weeks after you get ABECMA. Do not donate blood, organs, tissues, or cells for transplantation.

What are the possible or reasonably likely side effects of ABECMA?

Serious side effects. ABECMA can increase the risk of serious side effects. A serious side effect is a side effect that is severe or life-threatening and can lead to death. The serious side effects of ABECMA include, but are not limited to:

Early deaths. In a clinical study comparing ABECMA to standard treatments, a higher proportion of people died in the first 9 months from when they were assigned to receive ABECMA compared to people assigned to receive standard treatments. The higher rate of early death was seen before people received ABECMA, and the main reason was that their multiple myeloma had gotten worse. There was also an increase in the rate of death from side effects after receiving ABECMA.

Cytokine release syndrome, also called CRS. ABECMA can increase the risk of CRS, a very common side effect which can be severe or fatal. CRS happens when the immune system responds to an infection or a drug more aggressively than it should. Symptoms to look out for include: fever (100.4°F/38°C or higher), trouble breathing, dizziness or lightheadedness, nausea, headache, fast heartbeat, low blood pressure, feeling tired or weak.

Infections. ABECMA can increase the risk of life-threatening infections that may lead to death. Symptoms to look out for include: fever (100.4°F/38°C or higher), chills, any other signs or symptoms of an infection.

Low blood cell counts, also known as cytopenia. ABECMA can lower the number of one or more types of your blood cells (red blood cells, white blood cells, or platelets), which may make you feel weak or tired, and could increase your risk of severe infection or bleeding. After treatment, your healthcare provider will test your blood to check for this. Symptoms to look out for include: fever (100.4°F/38°C or higher), feeling weak or tired, bruising, bleeding.

Other (secondary) blood cancers. ABECMA may increase your risk of getting certain types of cancers, including certain types of blood cancers. You may hear your healthcare provider call these “secondary hematological malignancies.” Your healthcare provider should monitor you for any signs of secondary cancers.

ABECMA may cause a false-positive HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) test result by some commercial tests.

Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any of these symptoms after receiving ABECMA. Remember to bring and show your ABECMA Patient Wallet Card to any healthcare provider who treats you.

Most common side effects

The most common side effects of ABECMA include: feeling tired or weak, fever (100.4°F/38°C or higher), chills or shivering, severe nausea or diarrhea, decreased appetite, headache, dizziness or lightheadedness, confusion, trouble speaking or slurred speech, cough, trouble breathing, fast or irregular heartbeat.

These are not all the possible side effects of ABECMA.

Talk to your healthcare team for medical advice about side effects. You are encouraged to report side effects to Bristol Myers Squibb at ABECMA.com or by calling 1-888-805-4555, or to the FDA by calling 1-800-FDA-1088.

For more information, please see the U.S. Full Prescribing Information, including Boxed WARNINGS, and Medication Guide for ABECMA at ABECMA.com. Talk to your healthcare provider for more information about this medication.