Vol. 1 No. 11 (2021)
Reimbursement Recommendations

Idecabtagene Vicleucel (Abecma)

Published November 12, 2021

Key Messages

  • CADTH recommends that Abecma should not be reimbursed by public drug plans for the treatment of multiple myeloma.
  • Evidence from a clinical trial suggested that Abecma is associated with an improvement in response rate in patients with heavily treated multiple myeloma. No conclusions could be drawn for other important outcomes, including duration of response, overall survival, progression-free survival, and quality of life.
  • Patients identified a need for treatments that can prolong remission and improve quality of life and symptoms, and that have fewer side effects. It is not clear whether Abecma meets these needs.