Iqra Mumal, MSc,  —

Injections of botulinum toxin type A — commonly known as Botox — for cosmetic or medical purposes were linked to transient side effects similar to symptoms of myasthenia gravis (MG) in two people detailed in a case report. The study, “Botulinum toxin injections associated with suspected myasthenia gravis: An…

Aimovig (erenumab) and the investigational immune therapy subcutaneous immunoglobulin (SCIg) can safely be used simultaneously to treat migraines and myasthenia gravis, according to a recent case report. Both treatments were found to be effective at treating their individual conditions in the same patient and did not…

The diabetes drug metformin, which is largely safe and minimally toxic, can be of therapeutical value for myasthenia gravis, according to a study conducted using a mouse model of the disease. The study, “Metformin attenuates autoimmune disease of the neuromotor system in animal models of myasthenia gravis,” was…

People with myasthenia gravis suffer from diverse patterns of muscle weakness, which tend to shift frequently throughout the disease’s course, a new study shows. The study, “Heterogeneity and Shifts in Distribution of Muscle Weakness in Myasthenia Gravis,” was published in the journal Neuromuscular Disorders. Myasthenia gravis (MG) is…

Patients who develop myasthenia gravis (MG) either before or after surgical removal of the thymus (thymectomy) due to a thymoma — a tumor originating from the thymus — share similar clinical characteristics, a study shows. Moreover, testing for anti‐acetylcholine receptor (AChR) antibody levels, or…

High levels of PCO2 — a measure of the amount of carbon dioxide gas dissolved in blood — may be a useful biomarker for higher mortality risk in people with myasthenia gravis undergoing acute respiratory crisis, a study suggests. The study, titled “Myasthenic crisis treated in a…

A significant proportion of patients with generalized myasthenia gravis (MG) treated with Alexion’s Soliris (eculizumab) were able to either stop or reduce their use of immunosuppressive therapy, according to interim results from a Phase 3 open-label extension study. The study, “Changes in Concomitant Immunosuppressive Therapy Use…

Intolerable adverse events related to the use of prednisone, typically used to treat myasthenia gravis (MG), were more frequently reported by women than men, a study finds. The study, “Gender differences in prednisone adverse effects,” was published in the journal Neurology Neuroimmunology & Neuroinflammation. Prednisone is…

Patients with facioscapulohumeral dystrophy (FSHD) — a type of muscular dystrophy — can develop myasthenia gravis, possibly because of underlying immune dysfunction. A letter to the editor describing the case, titled “A case of facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy and myasthenia gravis with positivity of anti-Ach receptor antibody: a fortuitous association?” was published…

Myasthenia gravis patients have a greater risk of having autoimmune rheumatic diseases, especially those who underwent a thymectomy, according to researchers in Taiwan. Their study, “Thymectomy in patients with myasthenia gravis increases the risk of autoimmune rheumatic diseases: a nationwide cohort study,” was published in the journal Rheumatology.