Abecma

🧬 What Is Abecma?

Abecma is an autologous chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy. It involves modifying a patient’s own T-cells to express a receptor targeting B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA), a protein highly expressed on multiple myeloma cells. These engineered T-cells are then infused back into the patient to recognize and destroy cancerous cells.​U.S. Food and Drug Administration+1Drugs.com+1

🩺 Indications

Abecma is approved for adult patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma who have received at least two prior lines of therapy, including:​Comprehensive Cancer Information+3U.S. Food and Drug Administration+3WSJ+3

This approval was expanded in April 2024, allowing its use earlier in the treatment sequence .​WSJ+1Reuters+1

💉 How Abecma Works

  1. T-cell Collection: T-cells are harvested from the patient’s blood.
  2. Genetic Modification: The collected T-cells are genetically engineered to express a BCMA-targeting CAR.
  3. Expansion: The modified T-cells are multiplied to sufficient numbers.
  4. Infusion: The expanded CAR T-cells are infused back into the patient to target and eliminate myeloma cells.​U.S. Food and Drug Administration

This personalized approach ensures the therapy is tailored to each patient’s unique immune system.​WSJ+6International Myeloma Foundation+6Drugs.com+6

📊 Efficacy

In clinical studies, Abecma demonstrated:​abecma.com+1Reuters+1

  • Overall Response Rate (ORR): 72%
  • Complete Response (CR) Rate: 28%
  • Duration of Response: Approximately 13.8 months for those achieving CR, compared to 4.4 months with standard treatments .​abecma.com+1Reuters+1

⚠️ Safety and Side Effects

Common Adverse Reactions

Serious Risks

Patients are monitored for at least 7 days post-infusion at certified treatment centers to manage these risks .​abecma.com

📦 Storage and Administration

  • Storage: Abecma must be stored frozen in the vapor phase of liquid nitrogen (≤ -130°C).
  • Thawing: Thawing is required prior to infusion, following specific guidelines.
  • Administration: Infused intravenously at a certified treatment facility.​Drugs.com

🏥 REMS Certification

Due to potential severe side effects, Abecma is available only through a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) program. Healthcare facilities must be certified to administer this therapy and monitor for adverse reactions .​U.S. Food and Drug Administration+3Drugs.com+3U.S. Food and Drug Administration+3

📍 Availability in India

As of now, Abecma is not approved for use in India. Patients interested in this therapy may consider clinical trial participation or explore alternative CAR T-cell therapies that are available domestically.​