I usually have the television on in the background when I work around the house. How my house gets messy day after day is beyond me but that’s beside the point. Whipping through the junk mail, out of nowhere I hear my flat screen utter the words, "Why do people who live with generalized myasthenia gravis want a new treatment option?” Come again?
I scramble to find the remote to double-check what I just heard. A quick rewind and I realize, no; that wasn’t a figment of my imagination.
A commercial recently aired about myasthenia gravis following the newly FDA-approved treatment, VYVGART (efgartigimod alfa-fcab). Global immunology company, argenx, pioneered this latest development.
Tim Van Hauwermeiren, Chief Executive Officer of argenx stated in a recent press release that VYVGART is the “first and only FDA-approved neonatal Fc receptor blocker; and the first approved therapy designed to reduce pathogenic IgGs, an underlying driver of gMG.”
This is an exciting time for the myasthenia gravis community! Patients can now add this new medication to their treatment toolbox to help manage their disease. Myasthenia gravis patients have an array of treatment options including anti-acetylcholinesterase agents (Mestinon), corticosteroids and immunosuppressant agents such as Prednisone, complement inhibitors including Soliris, IgG therapy, plasma exchange, thymectomy, and now, VYVGART.
VYVGARTis an intravenous infusion and common side effects are respiratory tract infection, headache, and urinary tract infection. While VYVGART is indicated for patients who are anti-acetylcholine receptor antibody positive, it is important to remember that this type of research has the potential to open doors for other types of MG as well.
Thank you to argenx and everyone that provided their expertise to make another myasthenia gravis treatment possible. We are very excited to see how this will help MG patients in the future!
Interested in learning more about VYVGART? Head to https://www.argenx.com and as always, please consult with your care provider to see if this medication is an appropriate option for you.
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The following blog post was written by Meridith O'Connor, St. Louis Program Coordinator of the Myasthenia Gravis Association.
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