Meet your ABECMA care team
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Meet Your ABECMA Care Team
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If you’ve been diagnosed with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma, or MM, you’ve already been prescribed many types of therapy by your oncologist. Whether you are considering, have been referred to, or have already been prescribed ABECMA, we want you to feel informed and comfortable with your decision.
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ABECMA is a CAR T cell therapy. A different type of therapy with unique considerations. In this video, you’ll meet your ABECMA care team. These are the trained professionals that you may encounter during your treatment.
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ABECMA is available at certified treatment centers that have oncologists who specialize in CAR T cell therapy. Your oncologist will refer you to a treatment center oncologist to determine whether ABECMA is right for you. Know that you will not be alone. Each member of your ABECMA care team has a unique role to support you along your treatment journey.
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The CAR T cell therapy coordinator, who may be called a nurse navigator or case manager at your treatment center, is at the hub of your ABECMA care team.
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The coordinator, typically a registered nurse, will be involved in each step of the ABECMA treatment process. They will help organize medical appointments with your care team, help you plan and schedule your ABECMA infusion, and answer your questions.
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Along this process, you will encounter many different types of registered nurses, each with specialized roles.
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Before, during, and after your ABECMA infusion, this team of highly trained nurses will be by your side to ensure the highest quality of care.
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You will also meet nurse practitioners and physician assistants. They actively participate in the day-to-day care of patients and regularly communicate with the oncologist who is overseeing your treatment. A hospital pharmacist will also be nearby to discuss any medications and address questions.
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Your care team is there to help with the non-medical aspects too. A social worker will be available to ensure that you and your care partner are prepared throughout your ABECMA treatment journey.
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If you receive ABECMA and choose to enroll in Bristol Myers Squibb’s Cell Therapy 360 patient support program, you will be assigned a personal Patient Support Navigator to provide customized solutions and support throughout your treatment journey.
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The entire ABECMA care team is here to ensure that you feel supported, informed, and prepared during your entire treatment journey. As the patient, you are always at the center of your ABECMA care team.
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.
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 min.
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.
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