Yescarta

Yescarta is a prescription medication used to treat non-Hodgkin lymphoma in adults.

Yescarta belongs to a group of drugs called immunotherapy. These work by helping your immune system fight cancer cells.

This medication comes in an injectable form and is injected into a vein (IV) by a healthcare provider.

Common side effects of Yescarta include an immune reaction, fever, and low blood pressure. Yescarta can also cause dizziness, confusion, weakness, temporary memory problems and even issues with coordination. Do not drive or operate heavy machinery for at least 8 weeks after receiving this medication. 

Yescarta is a prescription medication used to treat non-Hodgkin lymphoma in adults. 

This medication is used when at least two other kinds of treatment have failed. 

This medication may be prescribed for other uses. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Serious side effects have been reported with Yescarta. See the “Yescarta Precautions” section.

Common side effects of Yescarta include the following:

• Fever (100.4°F/38°C or higher)
• Low blood counts (Low white blood cells/low red blood cells)
• Low blood pressure
• Fast heartbeat
• Confusion
• Difficulty speaking or slurred speech
• Nausea
• Diarrhea

This is not a complete list of Yescarta side effects. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Tell your doctor if you have any side effects that bother you or that do not go away.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

No drug interactions have been determined by the manufacturer. However, you should tell your doctor about all the medicines you take including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Not all drug interactions are known or reported and new drug interactions are continually being reported.

Serious side effects have been reported with Yescarta including the following:

• a type of immune response. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any symptoms like fever, chills, feeling very tired, fast heart rate, nausea, and low blood pressure. 
• nervous system problems. Call your healthcare provider if you experience changes in level of consciousness, confusion, seizures, speech disorders, tremors, and confusion. 
• severe allergic reaction. Tell your healthcare provider if you experience chest pain, swelling of the face or mouth, difficulty breathing or swallowing, or rash.
• serious infections. Call your healthcare provider immediately if you experience fever, chills, sore throat, ongoing cough and congestion, or other signs of infection; unusual bleeding or bruising; bloody or black, tarry stools; bloody vomit; or vomiting blood or brown material that resembles coffee grounds.
• lowered blood count. This may incraese the risk for an infection or bleeding. 
• secondary cancer. If this occurs, contact Kite at 1-844-454-KITE (5483). 

Do not drive or operate heavy machinery for at least eight weeks after receiving Yescarta. This is because Yescarta can cause confusion, dizziness, temporary memory and coordination problems, sleepiness, and weakness. 

Do not take Yescarta if you are allergic to Yescarta or to any of its ingredients.

Medications can interact with certain foods. In some cases, this may be harmful and your doctor may advise you to avoid certain foods. In the case of Yescarta, there are no specific foods that you must exclude from your diet when receiving this medication.

Before taking Yescarta, tell your doctor about all of your medical conditions. Especially tell your doctor if you:

• are allergic to Yescarta or to any of its ingredients
• have or have had a recent infection
• have neurologic problems like seizures, stroke, or memory loss
• have liver problems
• have heart problems
• have kidney problems
• have lung or breathing problems
• are pregnant or plan to become pregnant
• are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

No studies have been done in animals, and no well-controlled studies have been done in pregnant women.

It is not known if Yescarta can cause harm to your unborn baby, but based on the way Yescarta works, if it crosses the placenta, then it may lead to harm. 

Therefore, Yescarta is not recommended for women who are pregnant and pregnancy after infusion should be discussed with your healthcare provider.

Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed.

It is not known if Yescarta crosses into human milk. Because many medications can cross into human milk and because of the possibility for serious adverse reactions in nursing infants with use of this medication, a choice should be made whether to stop nursing or stop the use of this medication. Your doctor and you will decide if the benefits outweigh the risk of using Yescarta.

Yescarta comes in a suspension for injection to be given directly into a vein (IV) by a healthcare professional.

Before receiving Yescarta, Yescarta is made from a patient's own white blood cells. 

The following process is as follows:

1) Your white blood cells will be concentrated and collected. This process is called leukapheresis.

2) Your blood cells will be sent to a manufacturing center to make your Yescarta. 

3) Before receiving Yescarta, you will typically get three days of chemotherapy as a way to prepare your body. 

4) Your health care provider will administer Yescarta into the vein which will take less than 30 minutes. 

5) Right before infusion with Yescarta, your healthcare provider may give you medications to reduce the risk of a reaction including acetaminophen (Tylenol) and diphenhydramine (Benedryl).

6) After receiving Yescarta, patients will need to be monitored for at least 7 days.

It is recommended you plan to stay close to the place where you received Yescarta and for at least 4 weeks after getting Yescarta. This is to help monitor your side effects. In some cases and for certain side effects, you may need to be hospitalized in which your doctor will discharge you when it is safe to do so. 

Your health care provider will monitor how you are doing through blood tests. If you miss a blood test, call your health care provider as soon as possible to reschedule.

Yescarta is injected into the vein. Typically the infusion should take about 30 minutes.

If Yescarta is administered by a healthcare provider in a medical setting, it is unlikely that an overdose will occur. However, if an overdose is suspected, seek emergency medical attention.

• Keep all appointments with your doctor and the laboratory.
• Do not donate blood or any body parts for transplant after receiving Yescarta.

CYTOKINE RELEASE SYNDROME 

• Cytokine Release Syndrome (CRS), including fatal or life-threatening reactions, occurred in patients receiving YESCARTA. Do not administer YESCARTA to patients with active infection or inflammatory disorders. Treat severe or life-threatening CRS with tocilizumab or tocilizumab and corticosteroids.

NEUROLOGIC TOXICITIES

• Neurologic toxicities, including fatal or life-threatening reactions, occurred in patients receiving YESCARTA, including concurrently with CRS or after CRS resolution. Monitor for neurologic toxicities after treatment with YESCARTA. Provide supportive care and/or corticosteroids as needed.

YESCARTA is available only through a restricted program under a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) called the YESCARTA REMS.