Ravulizumab may lead to improvement in impairment severity in patients with myasthenia gravis (MG), according to a study recently presented at the Congress of the European Academy of Neurology and published in the European Journal of Neurology.
“In patients with AChR Ab+ gMG, ravulizumab provided greater treatment benefit in reducing symptom severity than placebo in 7/8 MG–Activities of Daily Living (MG-ADL) items, including ocular items, which had the highest proportions of patients with severe impairment at baseline,” the authors wrote.
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The poster presented the results of a post hoc analysis of the phase 3 CHAMPION MG study (NCT03920293), in which the investigators analyzed changes in the MG-ADL item scores over a period of 26 weeks.
During the randomized placebo-controlled period of the study, patients treated with ravulizumab showed greater improvement in MG-ADL item scores compared to those on placebo. Specifically, ravulizumab led to improved scores in 7 out of 8 MG-ADL items and complete resolution (score reduced to 0) in all 8 items by week 26.
The analysis revealed that the two ocular items in the MG-ADL scale had the highest proportions of patients with severe impairment (score 3) at baseline. However, ravulizumab treatment reduced the proportions of patients with a score of 3 for eyelid droop (23.1% to 14.1%) and similar proportions for double vision (11.5% at baseline and 10.3% at week 26). In contrast, patients receiving a placebo experienced increased proportions with severe impairment for both eyelid droop (20.7% to 24.4%) and double vision (6.1% to 12.2%) from baseline to week 26.
These findings highlight the positive impact of ravulizumab in reducing impairment severity in patients positive for anti-acetylcholine receptor antibody (AChR Ab+). The results indicate that ravulizumab treatment can lead to improved scores in multiple functional domains, providing meaningful benefits to patients in their daily activities.
Generalized MG is a chronic autoimmune neuromuscular disease that causes muscle weakness and fatigue. The condition can significantly impact patients’ quality of life, limiting their ability to perform routine tasks. Ravulizumab specifically targets the pathophysiology involved in cases of MG that are positive for the AChR Ab+.
Although these are promising results, further research and clinical trials are necessary to confirm these findings and explore the long-term efficacy and safety of ravulizumab in managing this debilitating disease.
Reference
Vissing J, Mozaffar T, Mantegazza R, et al. Ravulizumab in adults with generalised myasthenia gravis: post hoc analysis of MG-ADL item score change in CHAMPION MG. Eur Neurol. Published online June 30, 2023.
