A Farmer’s Journey with Generalized Myasthenia Gravis

This post is sponsored in partnership with UCB.

by UCB | September 18, 2025

For Albert, life has always been a balancing act. Managing his family farm and a portfolio of real estate investments—often with his five grandchildren by his side—not only requires the right strategy but also a deep understanding of the value of hard work and family. Whether managing a herd of cattle or restoring and maintaining historic properties, every day brought an exciting new challenge.

But in 2013, when Albert began experiencing troubling symptoms, including slurred speech, difficulty swallowing, respiratory distress, vision problems, and debilitating fatigue, he realized he’d met a challenge he was unprepared to handle. His symptoms, which were often mistaken for different conditions, led to a prolonged diagnostic process involving what felt like endless visits with neurologists and more testing until, ultimately, he was diagnosed with generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG).

“The diagnosis brought me both relief and frustration,” Albert shares. “gMG didn’t just affect my health; it had a ripple effect on my personal and professional life. But I stayed determined to find a path forward, with the support of my family and medical team.”

Despite the personal and professional challenges posed by gMG, Albert remained resilient, researching all he could about the condition, and how to best manage his symptoms. A turning point came in 2020 when his neurologist enrolled him in a study of ZILBRYSQ^®(zilucoplan), the first FDA-approved, self-administered treatment for adults with gMG who are anti-acetylcholine receptor (AChR) antibody positive.¹

ZILBRYSQ is a once-daily, subcutaneous injection that can be administered at home or away once you or your caregiver receive proper training from your healthcare provider on the right way to prepare and inject ZILBRYSQ.¹For Albert, the portable, ready-to-use treatment met the needs of his busy lifestyle.

“I just give myself an injection in the morning,” Albert explains. “It wasn’t just about feeling better physically; it was about getting my life and hope back on track. Both the mental and physical challenges of gMG are real, and I’m so thankful for how this treatment helped me. While this was the case for Albert, results may vary.

Following the clinical trial, Albert and his neurologist agreed to continue his treatment with ZILBRYSQ. Today, with his symptoms under control, he has found new purpose in teaching his grandchildren to find balance in the evolving responsibilities of rural life.

“My grandchildren are a joyful part of my life,” he shares. “They especially love feeding cattle cubes to the new calves and riding the tractor – under my close supervision. Their presence reminds me daily of the importance of resilience, adaptability, and joy in everyday experiences.”

ZILBRYSQ may lower the ability of your immune system to fight infections and increases your chance of getting serious meningococcal infections. ZILBRYSQ may also increase the risk of other types of serious infections caused by encapsulated bacteria. Pancreatitis and pancreatic cysts have happened in people who use ZILBRYSQ.

The most common side effects of ZILBRYSQ include injection site reactions, upper respiratory tract infections, and diarrhea.

gMG affects everyone differently, so it’s important to talk to your doctor about available treatment options, as well as their benefits and risks, to work together on a care management plan. For others living with gMG, Albert encourages them to keep pushing forward.

“The journey might be tough, but perseverance and new therapies mean there’s hope for a better quality of life,” he says.

You can visit ZILBRYSQ.com for more information, including a doctor discussion guide to help initiate a conversation with your doctor about whether ZILBRYSQ is right for you.

Albert is a member of the UCB Advocates Network and is a paid consultant.

This publication is sponsored by UCB for educational and informational purposes. The views and statements contained in this publication reflect the speaker’s opinion, experience, or professional/clinical experience. These views do not necessarily reflect the views of UCB. All trademarks, logos, and brand names are the property of their respective owners. Use of these names, trademarks, and brands does not imply endorsement or affiliation.

For more details about ZILBRYSQ see the Important Safety Information below. This information does not take the place of talking to your healthcare provider about your medical condition or your treatment.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION INCLUDING BOXED WARNING
What is the most important information I should know about ZILBRYSQ?
ZILBRYSQ is a medicine that affects part of your immune system. ZILBRYSQ may lower the ability of your immune system to fight infections.

ZILBRYSQ increases your chance of getting serious meningococcal infections caused by Neisseria meningitidis Meningococcal infections may quickly become life-threatening or cause death if not recognized and treated early.
- You must complete or update your meningococcal vaccine(s) at least 2 weeks before your first dose of ZILBRYSQ.
- If you have not completed your meningococcal vaccines and ZILBRYSQ must be started right away, you should receive the required vaccine(s) as soon as possible.
- If you have not been vaccinated and ZILBRYSQ must be started right away, you should also receive antibiotics to take for as long as your healthcare provider tells you.
- If you had a meningococcal vaccine in the past, you might need additional vaccines before starting ZILBRYSQ. Your healthcare provider will decide if you need additional meningococcal vaccines.
- Meningococcal vaccines do not prevent all meningococcal infections. Call your healthcare provider or get emergency medical care right away if you get any of these signs and symptoms of a meningococcal infection:
  - fever
  - fever with high heart rate
  - fever and a rash
  - headache with nausea or vomiting
  - headache and fever
  - confusion
  - headache with a stiff neck or stiff back
  - eyes sensitive to light
  - muscle aches with flu-like symptoms

Your healthcare provider will give you a Patient Safety Card about the risk of serious meningococcal infection. Carry it with you at all times during treatment and for 2 months after your last ZILBRYSQ dose. Your risk of meningococcal infection may continue for several weeks after your last dose of ZILBRYSQ. It is important to show this card to any healthcare provider who treats you. This will help them diagnose and treat you quickly.

ZILBRYSQ is only available through a program called the ZILBRYSQ Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS). Before you can receive ZILBRYSQ, your healthcare provider must:

enroll in the ZILBRYSQ REMS program.
counsel you about the risk of meningococcal infections.
give you the Patient Guide, including information about the signs and symptoms of meningococcal infection.
give you a Patient Safety Card about your risk of meningococcal infection, as discussed above.
make sure that you are vaccinated against serious infections caused by meningococcal bacteria and that you receive antibiotics if you need to start ZILBRYSQ right away and you are not up to date on your vaccines.

ZILBRYSQ may also increase the risk of other types of serious infections caused by encapsulated bacteria, including Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, and Neisseria gonorrhoeae.

Certain people may be at risk of serious infections with gonorrhea. Talk to your healthcare provider about whether you are at risk for gonorrhea infection, about gonorrhea prevention, and about regular testing.

Call your healthcare provider right away if you have new signs or symptoms of infection.

Who should not use ZILBRYSQ?

Do not use ZILBRYSQ if you have a serious meningococcal infection when you are starting ZILBRYSQ treatment.

Before you use ZILBRYSQ, tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you:

have an infection or fever.
are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if ZILBRYSQ will harm your unborn baby.
are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if ZILBRYSQ passes into your breast milk. Talk to your healthcare provider about the best way to feed your baby if you use ZILBRYSQ.

Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

What are the possible side effects of ZILBRYSQ?
ZILBRYSQ may cause serious side effects, including:

See “What is the most important information I should know about ZILBRYSQ?”
Inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis) and other pancreatic problems. Pancreatitis and pancreatic cysts have happened in people who use ZILBRYSQ. Your healthcare provider will do blood tests to check your pancreas before you start treatment with ZILBRYSQ.
Call your healthcare provider right away if you have pain in your stomach area (abdomen) that will not go away. Your healthcare provider will tell you if you should stop using ZILBRYSQ. The pain may be severe or felt going from your abdomen to your back. The pain may happen with or without vomiting. These may be symptoms of pancreatitis.

The most common side effects of ZILBRYSQ include:

injection site reactions.
upper respiratory tract infections.
diarrhea.

Tell your healthcare provider about any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away.

These are not all the possible side effects of ZILBRYSQ. For more information, ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at www.fda.gov/medwatch or 1-800-FDA-1088. You may also report side effects to UCB, Inc. by calling 1-844-599-CARE [2273].

See the detailed Instructions for Use that comes with ZILBRYSQ for information on how to prepare and inject a dose of ZILBRYSQ, and how to properly throw away (dispose of) used ZILBRYSQ prefilled syringes.

INDICATION
What is ZILBRYSQ?

ZILBRYSQ is a prescription medicine used to treat adults with a disease called generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG) who are anti-acetylcholine receptor (AChR) antibody positive.
It is not known if ZILBRYSQ is safe and effective in children.

Please see the full Prescribing Information and Medication Guide for ZILBRYSQ, including the Boxed Warning regarding serious meningococcal infections. Please see the Instructions for Use for the ZILBRYSQ Single-Dose Prefilled Syringe. Talk to your healthcare provider about your condition or your treatment. For more information, go to www.ZILBRYSQ.com or call 1-844-599-2273.

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