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Overview: Abecma is used to treat a certain blood cancer. Common side effects include fever, tiredness, and nausea. Get emergency help if you have trouble breathing, fever of more than 100.4 F (38 C), confusion, fast heart beat, dizziness, tremor, or severe tiredness, nausea, or diarrhea. Abecma is an infusion into your vein (IV) that is given by your healthcare provider.

Uses

What is Abecma used for?

Abecma (idecabtagene vicleucel) is commonly used to treat a certain kind of blood cancer called multiple myeloma.

Abecma may also be used for other conditions as determined by your healthcare provider.

How does Abecma work (mechanism of action)?

Abecma is a type of medicine known as cellular therapy. It is a personalized treatment that uses your own immune system cells to create the medicine. This allows Abecma to work to kill your specific cancer cells. 

How is Abecma supplied (dosage forms)?

Brands and other names

  • Abecma

Dosage forms and strengths

Abecma is available in an injectable form that is given by a healthcare provider.

How should I store Abecma?

Abecma is usually given by a healthcare provider in a hospital or clinic. You will not store it at home.

Side Effects

What are the most common side effects of Abecma?

The most common side effects of Abecma are listed below. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any of these side effects that bother you.

  • Fever and chills
  • Cytokine release syndrome (see below)
  • Low antibodies (see below)
  • Infections (see below)
  • Muscle and bone pain
  • Tiredness
  • Blood disorders (see below)
  • Low blood pressure
  • Fast heartbeat
  • Diarrhea
  • Nausea
  • Headache
  • Encephalopathy
  • Swelling
  • Shortness of breath

There may be other side effects of Abecma that are not listed here. Contact your healthcare provider if you think you are having a side effect of a medicine. In the U.S., you can report side effects to the FDA at www.fda.gov/medwatch or by calling 800-FDA-1088. In Canada, you can report side effects to Health Canada at www.health.gc.ca/medeffect or by calling 866-234-2345.

What are the serious side effects of Abecma?

While less common, the most serious side effects of Abecma are described below, along with what to do if they happen.

Severe Allergic Reactions. Abecma may cause allergic reactions, which can be serious. Get help right away if you have any of the following symptoms of a serious allergic reaction.

  • Breathing problems or wheezing
  • Racing heart
  • Fever or general ill feeling
  • Swollen lymph nodes
  • Swelling of the face, lips, mouth, tongue, or throat
  • Trouble swallowing or throat tightness
  • Itching, skin rash, or pale red bumps on the skin called hives
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Dizziness, feeling lightheaded, or fainting
  • Stomach cramps
  • Joint pain

Overactive Immune Response. Abecma can cause dangerous and life-threatening conditions called cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH)/macrophage activation syndrome (MAS). Both occur when your immune system responds too much to medicines, cancer, or infection. Get emergency help if you have any of the following symptoms even several weeks after you use Abecma.

  • Fever or chills
  • Fast or racing heart
  • Dizziness or feeling lightheaded
  • Trouble breathing
  • Severe nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea
  • Severe headache
  • Reduced need to pee
  • Swelling in your feet, ankles, or legs
  • Weakness or unusual tiredness

Neurologic Problems. Abecma can cause neurological problems, including a condition called immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS). Get emergency help if you have any of the following symptoms.

  • Confusion
  • Seizures
  • Balance problems
  • Trouble talking 
  • Tremor

Infections. Abecma can increase your risk of infections, including serious infections. Call your healthcare provider right away if you have an infection or any of the following symptoms.

  • Burning or stinging when you pee
  • Cough or coughing up blood 
  • Fever, sweats, chills, or muscle aches
  • Shortness of breath
  • Diarrhea or stomach pain
  • Weight loss

Reactivated Infections. Some types of microbes that cause infections (such as bacteria or viruses) can remain in the body after you recover from that infection. When a microbe stays in the body but does not cause an infection, it is called a “latent” microbe. Abecma may increase your risk of a latent microbe becoming active again, causing an infection. Before you start treatment with Abecma, tell your healthcare provider if you have ever had cytomegalovirus (CMV), hepatitis B, hepatitis C, or any other serious infections.

Blood Disorders. Abecma can cause blood disorders, such as low red blood cells (anemia), low platelet levels (thrombocytopenia), and low neutrophils (neutropenia) including febrile neutropenia, which can lead to dangerous infections. Keep all appointments to have your blood checked. Get help right away if you have any of the following symptoms of blood disorders.

  • Fever
  • Shortness of breath
  • Pale or yellowish skin
  • Easy bruising or bleeding
  • Frequent infection
  • Unusual weakness or tiredness
  • Dizziness, lightheadedness, or feeling like you are about to pass out
  • Headache
  • Fast or abnormal heartbeat

Low Antibodies. Abecma may cause you to have low levels of certain types of antibodies, called immunoglobulins. Low immunoglobulin levels could increase your risk for infection. Keep all appointments to check your blood work after getting this medicine.

Cancer. Abecma can cause a new cancer to develop. Tell your healthcare provider about any new symptoms that you may get.

Warnings & Precautions

Who should not use Abecma?

Allergies to Ingredients. People who are allergic to any of the following should not use Abecma.

  • Idecabtagene vicleucel
  • Abecma
  • Any of the ingredients in the specific product dispensed

Your healthcare provider can tell you all of the ingredients in Abecma.

What should I know about Abecma before using it?

Abecma is given by a healthcare provider in a hospital or clinic. 

Abecma has to be made from your own immune cells, so it will take several weeks for the medicine to be ready. Talk with your healthcare provider about what to expect from the process. 

Abecma is given as a single dose. Your healthcare provider will give you certain medicines on a specific schedule before you receive Abecma. Make sure to attend all appointments and take all medicines they give you as instructed.

Abecma can affect your alertness or coordination. Do not drive or do other activities that require alertness or coordination for at least eight weeks after receiving Abecma.

You should not donate blood, tissues, organs, or any cells meant for transplants after using Abecma. 

After using Abecma, it is possible that blood tests will give you a false-positive test result for HIV. Tell every healthcare provider you see that you have received Abecma. 

In a study of Abecma, there was a higher number of people who received Abecma and died in the first nine months compared to the people who did not receive Abecma. Some of these deaths were caused by side effects of Abecma and some were caused by their multiple myeloma getting worse. Talk with your healthcare provider about this risk. They will help to discuss the benefits and risks of Abecma with you. 

What should I tell my healthcare provider before using Abecma?

Tell your healthcare provider about all of your health conditions and any prescription or over-the-counter (OTC) medicines, vitamins/minerals, herbal products, and other supplements you are using. This will help them determine if Abecma is right for you.

In particular, make sure that you discuss any of the following.

Current and Past Health Conditions. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any of the following.

  • Neurologic problems including previous or current seizure, stroke, or memory loss
  • Lung or breathing problems
  • Heart problems
  • Liver problems
  • Kidney problems
  • A recent or active infection
  • A past infection of hepatitis B, cytomegalovirus (CMV), hepatitis c, or HIV

Vaccines. Talk with your healthcare provider about any vaccines that you may need. You should not receive certain vaccines six weeks before Abecma, during treatment, and until your immune system recovers after Abecma. Tell your healthcare provider about any vaccines you have recently received or have scheduled.

Pregnancy. Do not use Abecma if you are pregnant or think you may be pregnant. It is not known if Abecma may cause harm to an unborn baby, but it may cause serious problems if it reaches the baby. Tell your healthcare provider if you are or plan to become pregnant. Your healthcare provider will likely give you a pregnancy test before you use Abecma. Talk with your healthcare provider if you would like to get pregnant after using this medicine.

Breastfeeding. It is not known if Abecma passes into breast milk. Tell your healthcare provider if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed.

How can I get more information about Abecma?

For more information about Abecma, you can visit the manufacturer’s website at www.abecma.com or call them at 888-805-4555.

Interactions

Does Abecma interact with foods or drinks?

There are no known interactions between Abecma and foods or drinks.

It is unknown if drinking alcohol will affect Abecma, but heavy drinking can slow your immune response and make it harder for your body to fight infection and cancer.

Does Abecma interact with other medicines (drug interactions)?

There are no known interactions between Abecma and other medicines. Always tell your healthcare provider about any prescription or over-the-counter (OTC) medicines, vitamins/minerals, herbal products, and other supplements you are using.

Does interact with other drugs you are taking?

Enter your medication into the WebMD interaction checker

Overdose/Missed Dose

What should I do if I accidentally use too much Abecma?

If you or someone else has used too much Abecma, get medical help right away, call 911, or contact a Poison Control center at 800-222-1222.

What should I do if I miss a dose of Abecma?

Abecma is given by a healthcare provider in a hospital. Call them right away if you are going to miss your appointment for Abecma or any of the other medicines you need before using Abecma. 

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