What to Expect With KYMRIAH

What is the process for getting KYMRIAH?

You and your treatment team may be considering KYMRIAH^® (tisagenlecleucel). Below is a detailed description of each step so you know what to expect with KYMRIAH therapy. Your treatment team will be there to help guide you through the process.

1. Initial Discussion About Your Treatment

Discuss your treatment history and overall health with your doctor to see if you are a candidate for KYMRIAH therapy. You might find it helpful to bring along a friend or family member to help take notes and ask questions. Go to What should I ask my treatment team? for help speaking with your doctor.

2. Find a KYMRIAH Treatment Center

You may already be receiving treatment for your relapsed/refractory (r/r) follicular lymphoma (FL) at a treatment center that administers KYMRIAH. Or you may get a referral for KYMRIAH from your primary oncologist. If you haven’t already selected a treatment center, view the list of participating KYMRIAH Treatment Centers, or call KYMRIAH CARES™ at 1-844-4KYMRIAH (1-844-459-6742) for an up-to-date list of treatment centers in the United States so you can find a center near you.

3. Collecting Your T Cells

Treatment with KYMRIAH uses your own cells, so the process begins with T cell collection. A small, temporary tube (intravenous or IV catheter) will be placed into your vein to collect your T cells. This process is called leukapheresis (pronounced "loo-kuh-fuh-REE-sis") and takes about 3 to 6 hours.
Some people may experience side effects from leukapheresis. These include hypocalcemia (low levels of calcium in the blood). Your health care provider will monitor you carefully during the process. You should plan to take it easy for the first day or so after the procedure.

4. Preparing for Your Infusion

Your cells will be sent to a manufacturing facility to be reprogrammed into KYMRIAH CAR-T cells. The process usually takes 3 to 4 weeks, but timing and manufacturing outcomes can vary. About 2 to 11 days before your KYMRIAH CAR-T cells are ready, you may receive a short course of chemotherapy over 2 to 3 days that helps prepare your body to receive your reprogrammed KYMRIAH CAR-T cells. Your treatment team can help guide you through the process.

5. KYMRIAH CAR-T Cell Infusion

Once your KYMRIAH CAR-T cells are ready, your treatment team will schedule your IV infusion, which usually takes less than 30 minutes. KYMRIAH may affect your alertness in the first 8 weeks following the infusion, so it’s important you have someone who can drive for you.

6. Monitoring and Recovery

In the short term, regular monitoring to manage side effects is important. Whether you received your infusion in an inpatient or outpatient setting, it will be necessary to stay within 2 hours of your treatment center for at least 4 weeks after receiving KYMRIAH. Your health care provider will check to see if your treatment is working and help you with any side effects that occur.
In the long term, your treatment team will establish a monitoring plan for ongoing follow-ups. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends that all patients who are treated with KYMRIAH be followed for 15 years after infusion. Your treatment team will offer you participation in a long-term registry conducted by the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research (CIBMTR) for this follow-up. This information is used to help future patients and contributes to the understanding of the effects of CAR-T cell therapy.