News

Concentric needle-jitter is more accurate in diagnosing myasthenia gravis (MG) than repetitive nerve stimulation or acetylcholine receptor antibody positivity, a study reports. The study, “Repetitive nerve stimulation and jitter measurement with disposable concentric needle electrode in newly diagnosed myasthenia gravis patients,” was published in the journal…

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…

Surgeons in China have developed a new way of removing the thymus — a procedure called a thymectomy — in myasthenia gravis patients that may be both easier on the doctors operating and likely to improve post-operative outcomes in patients. The method was described and validated in the study, “…

Patients with myasthenia gravis (MG) have higher levels of a chemical modification — known as DNA methylation — on the CTLA-4 gene, which is linked to higher levels of autoantibodies and inflammatory molecules, according to researchers. The study, “CTLA-4 methylation regulates the pathogenesis of myasthenia gravis and the…

The National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) will celebrate the 35th anniversary of both the 1983 Orphan Drug Act and NORD’s founding at a dinner tonight in Washington, D.C. The 2018 Rare Impact Awards, to be held at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium, will be webcast via Facebook for those…

The European Union isn’t doing enough to protect the 30 million or so people with rare diseases who live in its 28 member countries, officials meeting last week in Vienna said. More than 900 people from 58 nations attended the 9th European Conference on Rare Diseases & Orphan Drugs (ECRD),…

The therapeutic effects of Prograf (tacrolimus) in myasthenia gravis (MG) patients are influenced not only by dosage, but also by patients’ genetic profiles and other medications they may be taking for the disease, according to a study from China. The findings point…

Expanded use of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved therapy Soliris (eculizumab) to treat myasthenia gravis (MG) could lead to a significant wholesale cost increase in 2018 and beyond, according to a new study by Prime Therapeutics. Prime manages pharmacy benefits for health plans, employers, and government programs, including Medicare and…

At least 800 people representing some 45 countries are soon expected to gather in Austria’s capital city, Vienna, for ECRD 2018, the 9th European Conference on Rare Diseases and Orphan Products. The May 10-12 meeting is sponsored by Eurordis, the Paris-based group that defines itself as a “patient-driven alliance”…

Treating late-onset myasthenia gravis (MG) with Rituxan (rituximab) eases disease symptoms, shows a positive safety profile, and allows patients to reduce other medications, researchers say. Their study, “B-cell depletion in late-onset myasthenia gravis is safe and effective; a case series (P6.439),” was presented as a poster at the…