Margarida Maia, PhD, science writer —

Regulators in China approved Soliris (eculizumab) for adults with hard-to-treat (refractory) generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG) who test positive for anti-acetylcholine receptor (AChR) antibodies. With this approval, Soliris is now the first complement inhibitor available to treat gMG in the country, according to AstraZeneca, the company that…

The direct costs of myasthenia gravis (MG) are about four times higher than for the general population and even higher when disease symptoms worsen during an exacerbation, according to a study from Italy. The study, “Real world study on prevalence, treatment and economic burden of myasthenia gravis in…

The rate of death from myasthenia gravis (MG) generally increases with age, but it peaks among teenage boys and older adults — in both men and women — according to a study from China. Researchers also observed that the rate of death is showing an increasing trend over the…

People who develop myasthenia gravis (MG) with very late onset — when they’re age 65 or older — may have a poor prognosis, particularly if they haven’t been started on immunotherapy, a study in China has found. These findings shine a light on how important it is to understand…

Batoclimab (HBM9161) eased the symptoms of generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG) and their impact on daily function, hitting the main and secondary goals of a Phase 3 clinical trial in China. No new side effects arose during the trial (NCT05039190) and the experimental therapy, which is being developed by…

The platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), which can be readily measured from a simple blood test, may help tell which people with myasthenia gravis (MG) will go on to develop respiratory failure, a study has found. High levels of systemic (whole-body) inflammatory markers or a diagnosis of generalized MG were…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted priority review to Argenx’s under-the-skin (subcutaneous) formulation of efgartigimod — the active ingredient in Vyvgart, the company’s approved treatment for generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG). If the subcutaneous formulation wins regulatory approval following that review, it would broaden the…

About one in 10 patients with thymic carcinoma — a rare type of malignant tumor in the thymus gland — also has myasthenia gravis (MG), but this does not appear to reduce their lifespan, according to a study of data from an international registry. The study, “Does myasthenia…

The cancer immunotherapy Imfinzi (durvalumab) may, in rare cases, trigger myasthenic crises — a serious complication of myasthenia gravis (MG) that can lead to respiratory failure. A recent case report described how an 82-year-old woman on MG remission experienced a myasthenic crisis following treatment with Imfinzi for advanced-stage lung cancer.

Plasma exchange combined with intravenous, or into-the-vein, immunoglobulin (IVIG) appears to be safe, and better than plasma therapy alone at easing the symptoms of myasthenia gravis (MG) and boosting the immunity of patients, a study suggests. These findings offer what researchers called a “reference for clinical decision-making” — particularly…