What Is This Summary About?: Generalized myasthenia gravis (often shortened to gMG) is a rare health condition that causes muscular weakness. This summary gives an overview of three published articles that report the results of research studies of a medicine called ravulizumab, a treatment approved for adults with gMG. These studies are: The CHAMPION MG study. The CHAMPION MG extension study. A study of how the body processes and responds to ravulizumab (known as pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics). These studies looked at how effective and safe ravulizumab is for people with gMG.
What Were The Results?: Overall, participants with gMG who received ravulizumab showed a significant and rapid improvement in their muscle strength and ability to do daily activities. These improvements were sustained for up to 60 weeks of treatment. Ravulizumab was well-tolerated overall, and no-one in the study had a meningococcal infection (a type of bacterial infection preventable with vaccination). Results from the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic study support the use of ravulizumab every 8 weeks to maintain improvements in gMG.
What Do The Results Of The Study Mean?: Ravulizumab can be considered as a treatment option for adults with gMG who are appropriately protected against meningococcal infection before starting treatment. The drug, administered every 8 weeks, improves muscle strength and daily performance. These positive effects have been observed to persist over a long period of time.
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http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11542078 | PMC |
http://dx.doi.org/10.57264/cer-2024-0109 | DOI Listing |
Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) is an inflammatory disease that causes recurrent neuritis and myelitis. Ravulizumab, a complement protein C5 inhibitor, was developed to treat NMOSD. However, its efficacy in improving symptoms remains unclear.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry
January 2025
Department of Neurology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
Background: Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an autoimmune disorder affecting neuromuscular junctions, leading to fluctuating muscle weakness. While many patients respond well to standard immunosuppression, a substantial subgroup faces ongoing disease activity. Emerging treatments such as complement factor C5 inhibition (C5IT) and neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn) antagonism hold promise for these patients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTher Adv Neurol Disord
December 2024
Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Augsburg, Stenglinstrasse 2, Augsburg 86156, Germany.
In seropositive myasthenia gravis (MG), complement inhibition has been shown to be an effective and a fast-acting therapeutic option. Myasthenic crisis (MC), usually preceded by impending MC, is a life-threatening complication requiring highly effective treatments with rapid onset of action. Currently used treatment options of MC are limited, consisting mainly of symptomatic and immune therapies, that is, intravenous immunoglobulins and plasma exchange/immunoadsorption.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis case study describes the successful use of ravulizumab in treating a 71-year-old woman with myasthenia gravis experiencing a myasthenic crisis. The patient initially presented with hypernasality and dysphagia; her medical history included untreated, complicated type 1 diabetes. The patient received several treatments approved in Japan for general myasthenia gravis, including immunoadsorption plasmapheresis, tacrolimus, intravenous immunoglobulin, and intravenous methylprednisolone.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSemin Respir Crit Care Med
December 2024
Department of Neurology and Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio.
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