Your cells. Your treatment.
Preparing to receive AMTAGVI™ is an important step in your melanoma treatment journey. Keep in mind that AMTAGVI is only available at Authorized Treatment Centers around the United States.
Your healthcare team will refer you to an Authorized Treatment Center to be evaluated for treatment if you are not already being treated at one. You can also find a treatment center close to you using the Authorized Treatment Center locator tool.
When it is time for your treatment, it is important for you and your care partner to be informed about the time it takes for AMTAGVI to be made and what you can expect during each phase of your treatment process.
The AMTAGVI tumor-to-treatment administration
AMTAGVI is a one-time, individualized therapy that takes about 1 month to make. When it is time to receive your AMTAGVI therapy, you will go to your Authorized Treatment Center, where you will be cared for and monitored by your healthcare team.*
*Learn more about each step of AMTAGVI.
Tumor tissue
A small piece of your tumor tissue will be removed, possibly during an outpatient procedure. This tissue is used to collect your T cells that will make your individualized AMTAGVI therapy.
- The location of your tumor tissue in your body determines which specialized surgeon will perform this procedure
- If you have multiple tumors, your treatment center team—in partnership with specialized surgeons—will determine the best location to collect your tumor tissue from
- If your procedure is outpatient, some patients may return home the same day of the procedure
- After your tumor tissue is removed, it is then shipped to a specialized manufacturing facility to create your AMTAGVI therapy
Creating AMTAGVI
- At the specialized manufacturing facility, your T cells become separated from other cells within the tumor tissue
- Your T cells are then grown into the billions†
- These cells, known as AMTAGVI, are shipped back to the treatment center to be administered as part of the AMTAGVI treatment process
†Each dose of AMTAGVI contains 7.5 x 109 to 72 x 109 viable cells.
3-step treatment process
Step 1: Short course of Lymphodepleting chemotherapy:
Chemotherapy that is used to decrease the number of T cells in your body to prepare your body for AMTAGVI.
- Starting 7 days before receiving AMTAGVI, you will receive a short course of chemotherapy
- This chemotherapy is made up of 2 medications plus supportive medicines
- It helps prepare your body to receive your AMTAGVI
Step 2: AMTAGVI
You will receive AMTAGVI in the hospital as a one-time treatment.
- Your AMTAGVI treatment will be given no sooner than 24 hours after your last dose of the lymphodepleting chemotherapy
- Your AMTAGVI dose is contained in 1 to 4 patient-specific infusion bag(s)
- Just before and after receiving AMTAGVI, you will receive other medicines to support your treatment
- When your body is ready for AMTAGVI infusion, your healthcare provider will give AMTAGVI to you by intravenous infusion
- This usually takes less than 90 minutes
Step 3: Short course of Interleukin-2 (IL-2) (aldesleukin):
A drug given as an infusion into your vein that helps to support AMTAGVI activity in the body.
- This treatment is given to support AMTAGVI T cell activity within your body
- This part of the AMTAGVI treatment process is administered inpatient while at the hospital and typically takes up to 3 days
- Your healthcare team will continue to monitor you for any side effects you may experience during this time
Following completion of your AMTAGVI treatment, your healthcare team will monitor you for any side effects and discharge you from your Authorized Treatment Center when they believe you are ready to return home.
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