Efficacy of ravulizumab in patients with generalized myasthenia gravis by time from diagnosis: A post hoc subgroup analysis of the CHAMPION MG study

Muscle Nerve. 2024 May;69(5):556-565. doi: 10.1002/mus.28044. Epub 2024 Feb 21.

Abstract

Introduction/aims: The CHAMPION MG study demonstrated that ravulizumab significantly improved Myasthenia Gravis-Activities of Daily Living (MG-ADL) and Quantitative Myasthenia Gravis (QMG) total scores versus placebo in adults with acetylcholine receptor antibody-positive generalized myasthenia gravis (AChR+ gMG). This post hoc analysis aimed to assess these outcomes by time from MG diagnosis.

Methods: Changes from baseline to week 26 in MG-ADL and QMG total scores were analyzed by time from MG diagnosis to study entry (≤2 vs. >2 years). Within each subgroup, least-squares (LS) mean changes for ravulizumab and placebo were compared using mixed models for repeated measures.

Results: In ravulizumab-treated patients, differences in LS mean (standard error of the mean) changes from baseline to week 26 were not statistically significant in the ≤2-years subgroup versus the >2-years subgroup for MG-ADL (-4.3 [0.70] vs. -2.9 [0.37]; p = .0511) or QMG (-4.3 [0.94] vs. -2.5 [0.50]; p = .0822) scores. No clear trends were observed in the placebo group. LS mean changes from baseline were significantly greater for ravulizumab versus placebo in both the ≤2 and >2 years from diagnosis subgroups for MG-ADL and QMG scores (all p < .05). The difference in treatment effect between the ≤2-years and >2-years subgroups was not statistically significant. No clinically meaningful between-subgroup differences in treatment-emergent adverse events were observed in ravulizumab-treated patients.

Discussion: Ravulizumab treatment improved clinical outcomes for patients with AChR+ gMG regardless of time from diagnosis. A numerical trend was observed favoring greater treatment effect with earlier versus later treatment after diagnosis. Further studies are required for confirmation.

Keywords: Myasthenia Gravis‐Activities of Daily Living; Quantitative Myasthenia Gravis; generalized myasthenia gravis; post hoc; ravulizumab.

MeSH terms

  • Activities of Daily Living*
  • Adult
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / therapeutic use
  • Humans
  • Myasthenia Gravis* / diagnosis
  • Myasthenia Gravis* / drug therapy
  • Receptors, Cholinergic

Substances

  • ravulizumab
  • Receptors, Cholinergic
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized