Patricia Inacio, PhD, science writer —

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted and placed on priority review an application seeking the approval of Ultomiris (ravulizumab-cwvz) to treat adults with generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG). The FDA set April through June as a target date range for its decision. Ultomiris is a monoclonal antibody…

In an older woman, myasthenia gravis (MG) onset followed surgery to remove a thymoma, or tumor of the thymus, a case study reported. Doctors should actively check for MG symptoms in patients with a thymoma before and after surgery, and measure the levels of self-reacting antibodies against acetylcholine receptors,…

Determining whether two types of immune cells — T follicular helper cells and activated dendritic cells — are present or lacking in a thymoma, in addition to the levels of specific genes, may help to predict the risk of myasthenia gravis (MG) among people with these tumors, a small study suggests.

A type of myasthenia gravis (MG) caused by the presence of self-reactive antibodies targeting muscle-specific kinase (MuSK) affects mostly women and manifests with eye and bulbar symptoms (those involving the face and neck), according to a single-center study in Northwest China. In these cases, MG can be successfully managed…

An 82-year-old man was diagnosed with myasthenia gravis (MG) shortly after receiving his second dose of the BioNTech/Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, a case study reports. He lacked typical MG symptoms, but instead developed speech problems (dysarthria) and swallowing difficulties (dysphagia). “Diagnosis of COVID-19 vaccine associated new onset myasthenia gravis…

Older age, moderate‐to‐severe anemia, and extremely high white blood cell counts were significant predictors of in‐hospital mortality in myasthenia gravis (MG) patients having a myasthenic crisis — marked by severe difficulties in breathing that require mechanical ventilation — a study from Taiwan reported. The study, “Hemogram parameters can…

Renal cell carcinoma, or kidney cancer, may be linked with myasthenia gravis due to an abnormal immune system response to cancer cells, a study of six people with these two disorders reported. Thymomas, or tumors of the thymus, are known to possibly trigger autoimmune diseases, including myasthenia gravis, in what is…

Analysis of five bacterial markers present in the gut microbiome — the community of microbes living in the gut — may help in diagnosing myasthenia gravis (MG) in children, according to a Chinese study. The study, “Metagenome-wide association study of gut microbiome revealed potential microbial marker…

Videonystagmography, a video-tracking system used to investigate balance disorders, can also detect eye muscle fatigue and recovery in myasthenia gravis (MG) patients, making it a potentially useful diagnostic test for MG, a study reported. The study, “A Novel Diagnostic Method for Myasthenia Gravis,” was published in…

Ahead of this year’s Rare Disease Week on Capitol Hill, held virtually July 14–22, the EveryLife Foundation will award grants to top advocates of rare disease organizations who participate in the week’s pre-events. The top 50 point-earners will be eligible to win $1,000 to $5,000in  grants, totaling up…