The anti-malaria drug dihydroartemisinin, known simply as DHA, showed promise in a rat model of myasthenia gravis (MG) as a potential treatment for the autoimmune disease, a new study reports. In addition to alleviating many MG-related symptoms, DHA inhibited pro-inflammatory T-cells while boosting immune-suppressing T-regulatory cells. Treatment with the…
Soliris (eculizumab) effectively eased symptoms and reduced the need for other medications in adults with myasthenia gravis (MG) in a clinical practice setting, according to two-year data from an observational study called ELEVATE. Findings were reported in the study “United States clinical practice experience with eculizumab in…
People with generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG) with many hospital visits before diagnosis or hard-to-manage disease symptoms at the time of diagnosis tend to accrue higher healthcare-related costs after getting diagnosed, a new study reports. The use of certain treatments before diagnosis and in the year after, as well…
Surgical removal of the thymus, called a thymectomy, may significantly ease the neurological symptoms of patients older than 65 who have myasthenia gravis (MG) and a thymus tumor, according to a new study from researchers in Italy. Overall, nearly 90% of older individuals undergoing thymectomy showed a neurological…
A set of inflammatory molecules could be useful as biomarkers for identifying and classifying myasthenia gravis (MG), potentially aiding in the diagnosis of the rare neuromuscular disease, according to a new study led by researchers in Sweden. Proteins and regulatory molecules associated with inflammatory processes could serve as disease…
Intravenous (into-the-vein) treatment with Argenx’s Vyvgart (efgartigimod alfa) resolved a myasthenic crisis — a life-threatening complication of myasthenia gravis (MG) marked by severe breathing problems — in a 57-year-old man who had failed to respond to prior treatments, according to a case study. The findings…
A recent study has reported a potential connection between cancer development and a subtype of myasthenia gravis (MG). The study, conducted in Italy, revealed the presence of muscle-specific kinase (MuSK) protein in tumor samples from patients with MuSK myasthenia gravis (MuSK-MG). The data also indicated a higher likelihood…
UCB’s injection therapy Zilbrysq (zilucoplan) has gained approval in Canada for treating adults with generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG) who are positive for antibodies targeting the acetylcholine receptor (AChR). The decision by Health Canada was supported by results from the Phase 3 RAISE trial (NCT04115293), in which the…
An under-the-skin, or subcutaneous, injectable form of efgartigimod alfa has been approved in China to treat adults with generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG) who test positive for antibodies against the acetylcholine receptor. The therapy was approved as an add-on to standard gMG treatment. This subcutaneous formulation of efgartigimod (efgartigimod…
Adolescent girls with juvenile myasthenia gravis (JMG) were more likely to have enlarged thymus glands than younger girls and adults with myasthenia gravis (MG), according to a retrospective study in France. The higher levels of female hormones during puberty may explain these results, the researchers noted, supporting the potential…
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