Ratna Bhavaraju-Sanka, MD, Chief of Neuromuscular Medicine at UT Health San Antonio, discusses Vyvgart’s (efgartigimod alfa) impact on myasthenia gravis (MG) patients.
MG is a chronic autoimmune neuromuscular disease characterized by weakness of the skeletal muscles. The condition is due to the presence of antibodies against the acetylcholine receptor. Weakness tends to increase during periods of activity and improve after periods of rest. Common symptoms include weakness of the muscles that control the eyes, mouth and face, but any set of skeletal muscles can be impacted.
Efgartigimod alfa is a neonatal FcRn blocker that is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of generalized MG as well as chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP). Data presented at the 2024 American Association of Neuromuscular and Electrodiagnostic Medicine (AANEM) conference examined the treatment’s long-term and real-world effects.
Efgartigimod alfa continues to show consistent improvement in various MG patient subgroups. Real-world data indicated that at one-year post initiation of the treatment, 55% of patients reduced their corticosteroid use by 5 or more mg/day and 42% achieved steroid doses of 5 or less mg/day. Additionally, the safety of the therapy continues to be consistent and favorable with no increase in adverse events.
Additional studies are currently ongoing to test the efficacy of efgartigimod alfa in other MG populations including seronegative MG and ocular MG.
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To learn more about MG and other rare musculoskeletal disorders, visit https://checkrare.com/diseases/musculoskeletal-diseases/
