Long-Term Patient Outcomes: The Role of Sustained Treatment Efficacy in Myasthenia Gravis

There have been great advances in the field of generalised myasthenia gravis (gMG) in recent years, but many patients remain dissatisfied with their disease state despite being on treatment. There is a growing consensus among specialists that minimising symptom burden, with sustained treatment efficacy, is the best way to improve outcomes. gMG is a chronic autoimmune disorder, characterised by fluctuating muscle weakness. Traditional treatments focus on immunosuppression, but patients often face challenges with efficacy and side effects, including corticosteroid complications. Up to 20% of patients do not respond to ​standard treatments and still experience symptoms. In this key opinion leader article, Carlos Casasnovas, Bellvitge University Hospital, Barcelona, Spain; Kristl Claeys, Department of Neurology, University Hospitals Leuven, Belgium; and John Vissing, Copenhagen Neuromuscular Centre, Rigshospitalet, Denmark, share their expert knowledge on the past, present, and future of gMG management. Speaking to EMJ in October and November 2024, they discussed how ongoing symptoms can have an important impact on the daily activities and quality of life of affected patients, the challenges of achieving sustained treatment efficacy with traditional approaches, and how emerging novel therapies may help address this critical unmet medical need.