Impact of gMG on patient care | New treatments can benefit patients

How does gMG impact your patients?

Patient portrayal

gMG=generalized myasthenia gravis.

For patients with gMG, the physical and psychological burdens can be severe and life-threatening^1-4

Up to 20% of patients experience a myasthenic crisis at least once in their lives, which can cause fatal respiratory failure^5,6

Symptoms are unpredictable, can make socializing difficult, and may increase feelings of anxiety and isolation^1,7,8

Patients experienced an average of about 63 sick days, potentially leading to work productivity loss⁹*

In addition to disease burden, patients may resist treatment to avoid negative side effects^7,10†

84% of patients are concerned about potential long-term side effects of immunosuppressive therapy^11‡

*Data from MyRealWorld-MG (December 2019-July 2023), a multinational observational study of 2,424 adult MG patients across 10 countries, which was aimed at assessing productivity loss by symptom severity. 1,049 of the patients studied reported their MG-ADL score as well as data on sick leave and/or their need for a caregiver. Inclusion required patients to be aged ≥18; those over 65 were excluded from productivity analyses. Patients self-reported their diagnosis in the MyRealWorld-MG smartphone application.⁹

^†Data were collected from 41 patients with autoimmune MG using the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America classification system to analyze factors leading to unsatisfactory outcomes.¹⁰

^‡Data from an online survey collected from 283 self-identified MG patients and 45 MG physician experts. The goal of the survey was to better define patient and physician opinions about gMG, long-term immunosuppressant exposure, and dose reduction to inform the potential design of a randomized clinical trial.¹⁰
gMG=generalized myasthenia gravis; MG=myasthenia gravis; MG-ADL=Myasthenia Gravis Activities of Daily Living.

[Voice quality] is important to me when I’m on calls . . . if I’m talking to a chief science officer and I can’t get the right words out of my mouth, that is not good.

—Real patient living with gMG

gMG=generalized myasthenia gravis.

Are your gMG patients struggling?

Patients continue to experience limitations caused by symptoms while on current commonly used treatments¹²

A survey showed that patients (n=28) reported that the following effects of gMG persisted, despite being on current treatments¹²*:

93^%

muscle fatigability¹²

82^%

difficulty breathing¹²

43^%

blurry/double vision¹²

29^%

trouble swallowing¹²

*Data collected from a qualitative, cross-sectional, non-interventional study in 28 people who reported receiving at least one treatment for gMG, including AChEIs, steroids, or NSISTs. Eligible participants were US residents, ≥18 years old, and comfortable reading and communicating in English. Study excluded people with only ocular disease to better understand the breadth of MG symptoms that affect all muscle groups.¹²
AChEI=acetylcholinesterase inhibitor; AChR=acetylcholine receptor; gMG=generalized myasthenia gravis; MG=myasthenia gravis; NSIST=nonsteroidal immunosuppressive therapy.

Start the treatment conversation

LEARN MORE

References: 1. Twork S et al. Health Qual Life Outcomes. 2010;8:129. doi:10.1186/1477-7525-8-129 2. Boldingh MI et al. Health Qual Life Outcomes. 2015;13:115. doi:10.1186/s12955-015-0298-1 3. Eliasen A et al. J Neurol. 2018;265(6):1303-1309. doi:10.1007/s00415-018-8837-4 4. Chu HT et al. Front Psychiatry. 2019;10:481. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00481 5. Grob D et al. Muscle Nerve. 2008;37(2):141-149. doi:10.1002/mus.20950 6. Wendell LC, Levine JM. Neurohospitalist. 2011;1(1):16-22. doi:10.1177/1941875210382918 7. Howard JF Jr. Myasthenia Gravis: A Manual for the Health Care Provider. Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America; 2009. 8. Suzuki Y et al. BMJ Open. 2011;1(2):e000313. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2011-000313 9. Dewilde S et al. Front Public Health. 2025;13:1538789. doi:10.3389/fpubh.2025.1538789 10. Bacci ED et al. BMC Neurol. 2019;19(335). doi:10.1186/s12883-019-1573-2 11. Hehir MK et al. Muscle Nerve. 2020;61(6):767-772. doi:10.1002/mus.26850 12. Jackson K et al. Neurol Ther. 2023;12(1):107-128. doi:10.1007/s40120-022-00408-x

How does gMG impact your patients?

For patients with gMG, the physical and psychological burdens can be severe and life-threatening1-4

In addition to disease burden, patients may resist treatment to avoid negative side effects7,10†