No CrossRef data available.
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 10 July 2025
Background: Generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG) is a rare, chronic, autoimmune disease characterized by muscle weakness and fatigue. This study aims to describe the natural history, disease burden and treatment patterns of gMG patients in Canada. Methods: Data was analyzed from the Adelphi MG II DSP™, a gMG patient-level cross-sectional database, collected through surveys between February-June 2024. Neurologists provided sociodemographic, symptomatology, and treatments data. Results: Fifteen neurologists provided data for 46 gMG patients. The cohort’s mean (SD) age was 58.1 (14.7) years, 52.2% male, 82.6% White/Caucasian and 89.1% were anti-AChR Ab positive. Mean time since diagnosis was 3.4 (3.1) years, 22% reported a change in employment status due to gMG. Most had public insurance (68.9%). Disease severity was mostly MGFA class II (78.2%) patients. Common symptoms included eyelid ptosis (76.1%), dysarthria (50.0%), and dyspnea (54.3%) – mean MG-ADL was 5.6 (5.1). During their disease course, 34.9% experienced ≥1 myasthenic crisis, while 25.6% reported symptom exacerbation. At time of survey, patients had used 1.8 (0.9) lines of maintenance treatment. Most prescribed treatments (alone or in combinations) were pyridostigmine (95.6%), corticosteroids (48.9%), non-steroidal immunosuppressants (42.2%), Immunoglobulins (31.1%), and biologics (22.2%). Conclusions: gMG patients continue to experience symptoms burden and crisis/exacerbations. These findings highlight an unmet need for new, safe and effective therapeutics that are publicly covered to manage gMG-related clinical manifestations.