What is myasthenia gravis?
Myasthenia gravis (MG) is a neuromuscular autoimmune disease that causes muscle weakness and fatigue and is associated with increased risk of mortality. Patients with MG can experience a range of symptoms including shortness of breath, difficulty swallowing, weakness of the eye muscles and limbs, impaired speech that can lead to significant disability, and life-threatening respiratory failure.1, 2, 3, 4
Where it strikes
Global prevalence rates range from 150 to 200 cases per 1,000,000 people. MG most commonly affects women under the age of 40 and men over the age of 604, affecting between 36,000 and 60,000 patients in the U.S., and between 60,000 and 120,000 patients in Europe.5
Current treatments
Standard treatments for patients with MG include cholinesterase inhibitors, corticosteroids, IVIg, plasma exchange, thymectomy, and steroid sparing immunosuppressants, with newer treatments targeting B cell depletion, complement inhibition, and neonatal Fc receptor inhibition; however, up to 15% of patients continue to have disability due to insufficient control of clinical symptoms and unresolved side effects.5, 6
CAR T-cell therapy for myasthenia gravis
CAR T-cell therapy involves modifying a patient’s T cells to recognize and remove B cells in the patient’s body. Kyverna’s CD19 CAR T-cell therapy, KYV-101, specifically targets CD19, a protein expressed on the surface of B cells, which is involved in various types of autoimmune diseases. We believe our approach may present a significant advantage over current standard-of-care therapies by aiming to directly deplete B cells and potentially resetting disease-contributing B cells.
- https://www.ninds.nih.gov/health-information/disorders/myasthenia-gravis. Accessed December 22, 2023.
- Dalakas MC. Nat Rev Neurol. 2019;15:113-124.
- Dresser, L., et al. J Clin Med. 2021;10:2235.
- https://www.ninds.nih.gov/health-information/disorders/myasthenia-gravis. Accessed October 9, 2023.
- DeHart-McCoyle M, et al. BMI Med. 2023;2:e000241
- Narayanaswami P, et al. Neurology. 2021;96:114-122.
How to Access Kyverna’s Treatment for Myasthenia Gravis
Participation in clinical trials is the best way to access our investigational product. Kyverna may consider requests for expanded access when alternative therapy options have been exhausted.