What is the cost of Yescarta?

The cost of Yescarta is about $424,000 per treatment regimen, but most people do not pay this amount. Your insurance or the manufacturer may cover many of the costs for this treatment. Each dose of Yescarta is a customized treatment created using a patient’s own immune system to help fight lymphoma (a type of blood cancer).

The manufacturer offers support through their Kite Konnect program. To learn more call Kite Konnect at 1-844-454-KITE (5483), M-F 5 AM to 6 PM Pacific Time. Yescarta is covered by many private health insurance plans and Medicare. Your coverage may vary based on your plan or circumstances.

There are out-of-pocket costs you may be responsible for with CAR T treatment. Examples include deductibles, co-payments and co-insurance. Your healthcare provider can also provide more information about Yescarta coverage and costs.

Why is CAR-T cell therapy so expensive?

A personalized and complicated bioengineering process such as CAR T cell development is expected to be costly.

Factors that contribute to the cost of CAR-T cell therapy include:

• Specialized facilities and health care providers
• Individualized manufacturing costs for personalized therapy
• Possible need for intensive care in the hospital due to serious adverse events
• Prolonged hospitalization and patient follow-up.

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What is Yescarta used for?

Yescarta (axicabtagene ciloleucel), from Kite Pharma/Gilead, was first approved in October 2017 as a chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR T) therapy. It is used to treat adults with:

• large B-cell lymphoma that has not responded (refractory) to first-line chemoimmunotherapy or that returns (relapses) within 12 months of the first treatment
• relapsed or refractory large B-cell lymphoma when at least two kinds of treatment have failed to control the cancer.
• follicular lymphoma when at least two kinds of treatment have failed to control the cancer.

This is not all the information you need to know about Yescarta (axicabtagene ciloleucel) for safe and effective use and does not take the place of talking to your doctor about your treatment. Review the full Yescarta information here, and discuss this information and any questions you have with your doctor or other health care provider.