Margarida Maia, PhD,  science writer—

In 2023, Myasthenia Gravis News brought up-to-date coverage of the latest scientific research and developments in the treatment of myasthenia gravis (MG). Here are the 10 most-read news stories of 2023, along with a brief description of what made them relevant for our readers. We look forward to…

Vyvgart (efgartigimod alfa) has been listed on China’s 2023 National Reimbursement Drug List (NRDL) as a treatment for adults with generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG) who test positive for self-reactive antibodies against the acetylcholine receptor (AChR) protein. Issued each year by China’s National Healthcare Security Administration (NHSA), the NRDL…

Treatment with intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) during pregnancy may have helped ease symptoms of a fetal disorder in a girl born to a mother with myasthenia gravis (MG), according to a report from Germany. The woman’s firstborn had developed severe FARAD (or fetal acetylcholine receptor antibody-related disorder), which occurs…

The experimental treatment povetacicept (ALPN-303) may be more effective than current available treatments for myasthenia gravis (MG), according to preclinical data from Alpine Immune Sciences, which is developing the therapy. Specifically, povetacicept outperformed Vyvgart (efgartigimod) and off-label rituximab at reducing disease activity in a mouse model of the…

Negative emotions, a personality trait known as neuroticism, are more likely in people with myasthenia gravis (MG) than those without this disease, and may explain why these patients appear to be more liable to depression and anxiety, a study suggests. MG patients also scored lower than healthy adults for openness…

Women with myasthenia gravis (MG) have more severe disease and worse quality of life than men, according to a study in Germany, which also found overweight patients had poorer quality of life too. The delay in being diagnosed was also longer for women than for men, which may result…

Measuring how much immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody levels drop after plasmapheresis, a blood-cleansing treatment for myasthenia gravis (MG), may help in determining the disease’s likely course, at least in the short term, a small study suggests. Changes in this potential biomarker that signal improvement also could help in…

About two years treatment with the immunosuppressant tacrolimus safely and effectively eases symptoms in children and adolescents with myasthenia gravis (MG) while cutting down the need for oral prednisone, according to a small study in China. Corticosteroids like prednisone, often used when other medications fail to control…

Having a thymoma, or a tumor in the thymus gland, can make a severe complication of myasthenia gravis (MG) — known as a myasthenic crisis — more likely, a Turkish study suggests. “We found that thymoma increased the risk of developing a myasthenic crisis, and also increased the risk of…

People with myasthenia gravis (MG) experience a lower health-related quality-of-life impact, face a higher medical burden, and require more assistance from caregivers compared with the general population, according to data pulled from two international studies. MG patients also were more likely to take sick leave from work and to…