What is ABECMA? ABECMA (idecabtagene vicleucel) is a prescription medicine for the treatment of multiple myeloma in patients who have received at least four kinds of treatment regimens that have not worked or have stopped working. ABECMA is a medicine made from your own white blood cells; the cells are genetically modified to recognize and attack your multiple myeloma cells.
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After your ABECMA infusion, you may be monitored for signs and symptoms of side effects. Work with your healthcare provider and follow the guidance of your treating physician.
ABECMA may cause side effects that are severe or life-threatening. Call your healthcare provider or get emergency help right away if you get any of the following:
It is 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.
Not an actual patient.
ABECMA can increase the risk of life-threatening infections that may lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you develop fever, chills, or any signs or symptoms of an infection.
ABECMA can lower one or more types of your blood cells (red blood cells, white blood cells, or platelets), which may make you feel weak or tired or increase your risk of severe infection or bleeding. After treatment, your healthcare provider will test your blood to check for this. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get a fever, are feeling tired, or have bruising or bleeding.
Having ABECMA in your blood may cause a false-positive human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) test result by some commercial tests.
ABECMA can cause a very common side effect called cytokine release syndrome, or CRS, which can be severe or, in some cases, fatal. Cytokines are small immune proteins that have many different actions in the body, and treatments like ABECMA can sometimes cause a large, rapid release of these proteins into the blood, which can be harmful.
After your infusion, you may want to call your healthcare provider if you experience any of the symptoms below:
Specialized healthcare teams are trained to monitor and manage side effects of ABECMA treatment if they occur.
Based on the ABECMA clinical trial, CRS associated with ABECMA was likely to happen early, starting about a day after the infusion. In the clinical trial, CRS generally improved in about 7 days.
*The median time to onset was 1 day, with a range of 1 to 23 days.
†The median duration was 7 days, with a range of 1 to 63 days.
ABECMA can cause a very common side effect called neurologic toxicity, which can be severe. Neurologic toxicity affects the body’s nervous system.
Neurologic toxicity can be felt as one or more neurological symptoms. Do not drive, operate heavy machinery, or do other activities that could be dangerous if you are not mentally alert for at least 8 weeks after you receive ABECMA.
After your infusion, you may want to call your healthcare provider if you experience any of the symptoms below:
Specialized healthcare teams are trained to monitor and manage side effects of ABECMA treatment if they occur.
‡In another multiple myeloma study, other serious side effects, including 1 patient with life-threatening neurologic toxicity, have been reported with ABECMA.
In the ABECMA clinical trial, neurologic toxicity was likely to happen early—starting within 2 days after the infusion and improving in about 5 days.
§The median time to onset was 2 days, with a range of 1 to 42 days.
||The median duration was 5 days, with a range of 1 to 61 days in patients whose neurologic toxicity resolved. For patients who experienced neurologic toxicity, including 3 patients with ongoing neurologic toxicity, the median duration of neurologic toxicity was 6 days, with a range of 1 to 578 days.