Author Archives: Forest Ray PhD

Therapeutic plasma exchange improved symptoms related to hard-to-treat myasthenia gravis, resulted in reduced use of immunosuppressants, and was well-tolerated by patients, according to a new study. That study, “Clinical experience with maintenance therapeutic plasma exchange in refractory generalized myasthenia gravis,” was published in the Journal of…

Ultomiris (ravulizumab-cwvz) rapidly and sustainably eased symptom severity in adults with generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG), according to top-line data from a Phase 3 trial. Alexion Pharmaceuticals, the therapy’s developer, now plans to submit regulatory applications requesting approval of Ultomiris for gMG in the U.S., Europe, and Japan, later…

Patient dosing has begun in a Phase 1/2a clinical trial of NMD670, an investigational oral therapy by NMD Pharma aiming to improve motor abilities and quality of life for people with myasthenia gravis (MG). “We are pleased to announce the dosing of the first myasthenia gravis patient today…

A single, two-day and low-dose course of rituximab can effectively treat patients with muscle-specific tyrosine kinase myasthenia gravis (MuSK-MG) over at least six months, according to a pilot study. The low dose administered eased disease symptoms and measures of clinical severity, and enabled patients to lower their steroid…

High pyridostigmine doses cause overactive bladder issues in people with myasthenia gravis (MG), according to a recent study. Because of this, doctors should take patients’ bladder-related discomfort into account when deciding treatment regimens, and consider prescribing lower pyridostigmine doses or alternative therapies. The study, “Overactive…

Myasthenia gravis (MG) can mimic the symptoms of a stroke and should not be ruled out even in younger patients, a recent medical case report suggests. The report, “Myasthenia gravis masquerading as acute stroke: a case report,” was published in the PanAfrican Medical Journal. MG…

A lesser known variety of myasthenia gravis (MG), called double-seropositive, appears to be a subtype of MuSK-antibody positive MG, a single-site study in China reports. Recognizing this subtype could help in properly diagnosing patients, allowing for better treatment outcomes, its scientists said. Their study, “AChRAb and…

The two COVID-19 vaccines that recently received emergency approval from the U.S. and other worldwide regulatory agencies are expected to pose little risk to the rare disease community, including to patients with compromised immune systems or those participating in gene therapy studies. That was the message of a recent…

People with myasthenia gravis (MG) felt high anxiety regarding COVID-19, experienced changes in their interactions with healthcare systems, and generally trust information coming from non-presidential federal government sources and local healthcare providers, according to a survey. The results indicate that targeted messaging strategies by trusted sources may help…

UCB Biopharma and doc.ai have launched a digital trial aimed at improving the speed and accuracy of diagnosis and predicting symptom flares in myasthenia gravis (MG) patients by recognizing vocal and facial patterns. The app-based trial, which is currently enrolling, uses participants’ smartphones to record vocal…