Patricia Inacio, PhD, science writer —

Use of rituximab can reverse myasthenia gravis-like symptoms in cancer patients being treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors like Opdivo or Yervoy, a case study reports. The study, “Rituximab as initial therapy for the reversal of myasthenia gravis neurotoxicity caused by ipilimumab/nivolumab” was published in the journal Neuro-Oncology and presented at the…

An interventional program composed of physical activity and psychological support may help improve fatigue levels in myasthenia gravis patients, a small pilot trial found. The results, however, were not sustained over time, and a bigger study is needed, researchers said. The study titled “A Physical and Psychological Approach to…

A small but significant percentage of myasthenia gravis (MG) patients remain resistant to current therapies, which severely impacts on their quality of life and requires greater attention and more aggressive treatments, according to a recent opinion piece from a neurologist. The article, “Refractory Myasthenia Gravis – Patient Burden…

Between 30 percent and 50 percent of all thymoma patients – people treated for a tumor in the thymus gland – go on to develop myasthenia gravis, and as a case study reports, this disease’s appearance can sometimes be associated with a return of the cancer. The study detailed an…

Careful patient assessment and planning prior to surgery was needed to successfully remove a tumor from the thymus of a myasthenia gravis patient with a recent history of adult respiratory distress syndrome, researchers in Greece reported. Their case study, “Thymectomy in a patient with thymoma -related myasthenia Gravis and recent…

Ra Pharma’s RA101495, a potential treatment for generalized myasthenia gravis patients, showed preliminary signs of halting red blood cell destruction in healthy volunteers, results of an early clinical trial show — justifying the Phase 2 trial in patients now underway. Data reporting on the Phase 1 trial results — showing that RA101495…

Myasthenia gravis patients appear to have lower levels of vitamin D than the general population, a study confirmed. The confirmation suggested that doctors need to monitor patients’ vitamin D levels to reduce the chance they will have additional autoimmune responses that can worsen their condition, the researchers said. Their study,…

Blood levels of a microRNA called miR-150-5p have been identified as a potential biomarker for AChR-positive myasthenia gravis, after surgical treatment was found to reduce its levels in a study. The study, “Thymectomy lowers the myasthenia gravis biomarker miR-150-5p,” was published in the journal Neurology…

Using robotic-assisted surgery to remove the thymus without putting a patient on an  immunosuppressant afterwards leads to higher myasthenia gravis (MG) improvement and remission rates, a study suggests. The study, “Independent long-term result of robotic thymectomy for myasthenia gravis, a single center experience” was published in the Journal of Thoracic…

Ra Pharmaceuticals, which is now enrolling patients with generalized myasthenia gravis into a Phase 2 clinical trial, joined millions of health care advocates worldwide for the 11th annual Rare Disease Day, held to raise awareness and public understanding of rare diseases. The 2018 Rare Disease Day had as a…