Marta Figueiredo, PhD, science writer —

In people with ocular myasthenia gravis (OMG), disease onset during adulthood, the presence of nerve abnormalities, anti-acetylcholine receptor (AChR) autoantibodies, and a thymus tumor, all increase the risk of disease generalization to the rest of the body, a multicenter study in China has found. Notably, in contrast to…

For the first time, a genetic risk factor for myasthenia gravis (MG) has been identified that involves a gene — AGRN — coding for a protein directly involved in the activity of neuromuscular junctions (NMJs), which are impaired in MG, researchers report. The study, involving the genetic analysis of more than…

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has agreed to review Argenx’s application requesting the approval of its lead candidate, efgartigimod (ARGX-113), to treat people with generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG). A regulatory decision is expected by mid-2022. “gMG is a severe, chronic and debilitating disease that can be unpredictable…

Harbour BioMed’s investigational therapy batoclimab (HBM9161) safely and rapidly eases symptoms and lowers the levels of harmful antibodies in adults with moderate-to-severe generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG), according to top-line data from a Phase 2 clinical trial in China. “The strong evidence generated from this study is quite exciting…

Women with myasthenia gravis (MG) given standard treatment improve significantly less in both objective and patient-reported outcome measures than do men, a study in Denmark with nearly five years of follow-up data reported. Notably, this sex difference was independent of age, disease duration, simultaneous health conditions (comorbidities), and prior…

Most generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG) patients respond to Soliris (eculizumab) within three months of treatment, but some have to wait longer to achieve clinical responses, according to a post-hoc analysis of data from the Phase 3 REGAIN trial and its extension study. Notably, patients’ characteristics as evaluated at treatment start…

Editor’s note: The Myasthenia Gravis News team is providing in-depth coverage of the 2021 Virtual AAN Annual Meeting, April 17–22. Go here to read stories from the conference. Myasthenia gravis (MG) patients who test negative for the presence of the most common MG self-reactive antibodies (autoantibodies) more…

Editor’s note: The Myasthenia Gravis News team is providing in-depth coverage of the 2021 Virtual AAN Annual Meeting, April 17–22. Go here to read the latest stories from the conference. Janssen’s experimental therapy nipocalimab (M281) safely, rapidly, and effectively reduced disease severity in adults with generalized…

Editor’s note: The Myasthenia Gravis News team is providing in-depth coverage of the 2021 Virtual AAN Annual Meeting, April 17–22. Go here to read the latest stories from the conference Rituximab, an approved immunosuppressive treatment for certain cancers and autoimmune conditions, effectively eases disease severity and prevents…

Blood levels of two pro-inflammatory subsets of immune T-cells are abnormally low in people with myasthenia gravis (MG) who have antibodies against the acetylcholine receptor (AChR), a study shows. The reduced levels of these cells were associated with their retention in a patient’s thymus — whose removal is a…