How is Yescarta administered?

Yescarta (axicabtagene ciloleucel) is given through a catheter placed into your vein (intravenous infusion), typically in your arm. The infusion usually takes less than 30 minutes. It is given as a one-time infusion. It is a special infusion made just for you using your own white blood cells in a process called “leukapheresis” which will concentrate your white blood cells to help fight cancer.

Before you get Yescarta, you will get 3 days of chemotherapy to prepare your body. After the Yescarta infusion, you will be monitored daily for at least 7 days.

You will need to remain close-by to a healthcare facility for at least 2 weeks after receiving Yescarta. Your healthcare providers will monitor you for side effects.

If side effects become serious after discharge, you may need to be readmitted to a healthcare facility for monitoring. Your healthcare provider will discharge you if your side effects are under control, and it is safe for you to leave the hospital.

Your healthcare provider will want to do blood tests to follow your progress, and these tests are important. If you miss an appointment, call your doctor to reschedule right away.

Avoid driving for at least 2 weeks after you get Yescarta. Do not donate blood, organs, tissues, or cells for transplantation.

Read more about Yescarta at: Important Yescarta warnings and side effects

What is Yescarta approved for?

• Yescarta (axicabtagene ciloleucel), from Kite Pharma, is a chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR T) therapy used for adults with large B-cell lymphoma or follicular lymphoma (FL) after failing at least two other systemic treatments. Large B-cell lymphoma and follicular lymphoma are two types of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
• It is also approved for patients with large B-cell lymphoma who are refractory (have not responded) to first-line chemoimmunotherapy or that relapse (cancer returns) within 12 months of first-line chemoimmunotherapy.
• The use for follicular lymphoma is approved under FDA accelerated approval based on response rate. Continued approval for this indication may depend upon the clinical benefit seen in confirmatory trials.

Yescarta is a biologic-type drug which is manufactured specifically for each patient from their own white blood cells. The receipt of CAR T-cell therapy is a one-time procedure, and the CAR-T cells may continue to replicate in the body to fight the cancer.

Related questions

• What is the cost of Yescarta?
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How is Yescarta made in the lab?

Here's the general step-by-step process for CAR T-cell development:

1. First, leukapheresis (loo-kah-fur-ee-sis), a procedure to collect the patient's white blood cells (lymphocytes), is performed in the hospital, and then the T-cells are isolated. The T-cells are white blood cells used for immune responses.
2. The T-cells are sent to lab where they are genetically engineered to construct a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) on the cell surface.
3. Genes are inserted into the T-cells using an inactive virus which allows the CAR T-cell to recognize, activate, and kill the lymphoma cells.
4. The CAR T-cell is grown in the lab for about 2 weeks to greatly increase the dose. The cells are frozen and then sent to the hospital for re-infusion to the patient.
5. In the mean time, the patient will receive 3 days of chemotherapy to help lower the white blood cell count and allow the CAR T-cells to be better accepted by the body.

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 your doctor's directions. Review the full product information and discuss this information and any questions you have with your doctor or other health care provider.

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Drug information

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• Axicabtagene Ciloleucel

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