CORTICOSTEROID AND BIOLOGIC USE IN A REAL-WORLD POPULATION WITH GENERALIZED MYASTHENIA GRAVIS IN THE UNITED STATES AND GERMANY
Author(s)
Seth W. Anderson, MSc, RPh, PharmD1, Ankur Bhambri, MD1, Blanca Canales, PharmD1, Gregor Gibson, BSc2, Hannah Connolly, MChem2, Shiva Lauretta Birija, BSc2, Beth Poirrette, MSc2, Amy Foster, BSc2, James F. Howard, Jr., MD3;
1Amgen, Thousand Oaks, CA, USA, 2Adelphi Real World, Bollington, United Kingdom, 3The University of North Carolina, Department of Neurology, CHAPEL HILL, NC, USA
1Amgen, Thousand Oaks, CA, USA, 2Adelphi Real World, Bollington, United Kingdom, 3The University of North Carolina, Department of Neurology, CHAPEL HILL, NC, USA
OBJECTIVES: To describe corticosteroid and biologic therapy use in a cohort of real-world generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG) patients. gMG is a chronic, autoantibody-mediated condition manifesting as variable muscle weaknesses and fatigue. Pharmacological treatment typically includes the use of corticosteroids though recently multiple novel biologic therapies have emerged.
METHODS: Data were drawn from the Adelphi MG Disease Specific Programme (DSP)™, a cross-sectional survey of neurologists and their patients with gMG in the United States and Germany, from January 2024 - May 2025. Physicians provided patient-level demographics, clinical characteristics including Myasthenia Gravis-Activities of Daily Living (MG-ADL) scores and treatment.
RESULTS: Overall, 74 neurologists reported on 478 gMG patients (US: n=49 and 312 and Germany: n=25 and 166 respectively). Mean (standard deviation; SD) age was 53.2 (14.2) years, 50.6% were male and diagnosis occurred a mean (SD) 3.5 (4.7) years prior to survey. Physicians reported a mean (SD) MG-ADL score of 4.3 (3.1) and 62.3% of patients were in Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America class II. At time of survey, 85.6% of patients were prescribed a gMG treatment. Of those, 30.6% were prescribed corticosteroids, most commonly prednisone (27.4%). Patients had been prescribed their current corticosteroids for a mean (SD) of 1.9 (3.3) years and 29.5% were prescribed a dosage ≥20 mg. Among patients prescribed corticosteroids, 52.8% had a MG-ADL score between 0-4 (35.2%: 5-9 and 12.0%: 10-24). Among patients on treatment, 40.1% were prescribed biologics. Patients had been prescribed their biologic treatments, for a mean (SD) 1.0 (0.8) years at survey and for a mean (SD) 2.3 (3.5) times per month. MG-ADL scores were 0-4 in 39.3% (48.7%: 5-9 and 12.0%: 10-24) of patients prescribed biologics.
CONCLUSIONS: Corticosteroid and biologic therapies were frequently prescribed, including among those with high MG-ADL scores. Reducing steroid exposure and frequent administrations of biologic therapies whilst maintaining efficacy could benefit this population.
METHODS: Data were drawn from the Adelphi MG Disease Specific Programme (DSP)™, a cross-sectional survey of neurologists and their patients with gMG in the United States and Germany, from January 2024 - May 2025. Physicians provided patient-level demographics, clinical characteristics including Myasthenia Gravis-Activities of Daily Living (MG-ADL) scores and treatment.
RESULTS: Overall, 74 neurologists reported on 478 gMG patients (US: n=49 and 312 and Germany: n=25 and 166 respectively). Mean (standard deviation; SD) age was 53.2 (14.2) years, 50.6% were male and diagnosis occurred a mean (SD) 3.5 (4.7) years prior to survey. Physicians reported a mean (SD) MG-ADL score of 4.3 (3.1) and 62.3% of patients were in Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America class II. At time of survey, 85.6% of patients were prescribed a gMG treatment. Of those, 30.6% were prescribed corticosteroids, most commonly prednisone (27.4%). Patients had been prescribed their current corticosteroids for a mean (SD) of 1.9 (3.3) years and 29.5% were prescribed a dosage ≥20 mg. Among patients prescribed corticosteroids, 52.8% had a MG-ADL score between 0-4 (35.2%: 5-9 and 12.0%: 10-24). Among patients on treatment, 40.1% were prescribed biologics. Patients had been prescribed their biologic treatments, for a mean (SD) 1.0 (0.8) years at survey and for a mean (SD) 2.3 (3.5) times per month. MG-ADL scores were 0-4 in 39.3% (48.7%: 5-9 and 12.0%: 10-24) of patients prescribed biologics.
CONCLUSIONS: Corticosteroid and biologic therapies were frequently prescribed, including among those with high MG-ADL scores. Reducing steroid exposure and frequent administrations of biologic therapies whilst maintaining efficacy could benefit this population.
Conference/Value in Health Info
2026-05, ISPOR 2026, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Value in Health, Volume 29, Issue S6
Code
CO61
Topic
Clinical Outcomes
Disease
SDC: Neurological Disorders, SDC: Rare & Orphan Diseases