How biotech is tackling myasthenia gravis

Beyond Biotech - the podcast from Labiotech

June is myasthenia gravis awareness month. Myasthenia gravis is a chronic autoimmune disorder where antibodies destroy the communication between nerves and muscle, and this results in weakness of the skeletal muscles.

It especially affects the voluntary muscles of the eyes, mouth, throat and/or limbs. It is most frequent in women from 20 and 30 and men aged 50 and older.

To talk about the disease, how it is being treated, and what is in the pipeline for future treatments, we had a conversation with Dana Vigier, head of Central Eastern and Northern Europe at Alexion.

01:07-04:26: Background on Dr Dana Vigier
04:26-07:07: What is myasthenia gravis?
07:07-09:43: What is the prognosis for someone diagnosed with myasthenia gravis?
09:43-11:33: How effective are current treatments for myasthenia gravis?
11:33-12:56: Do all the myasthenia gravis drugs work in the same way?
12:56-18:35: What R&D is taking place in myasthenia gravis?
18:35-21:14: Alexion and its work on myasthenia gravis
21:14-22:01: Myasthenia gravis clinical trials
22:01-23:58: The importance of myasthenia gravis awareness month
23:58-25:31: Would early diagnosis make a difference?
25:31-27:54: Transformation through new treatments
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Chapters

1. Background on Dr Dana Vigier
 (00:01:07)

2. What is myasthenia gravis?
 (00:04:26)

3. What is the prognosis for someone diagnosed with myasthenia gravis?
 (00:07:07)

4. How effective are current treatments for myasthenia gravis?
 (00:09:43)

5. Do myasthenia gravis drugs work in the same way? 
 (00:11:33)

6. What R&D is taking place in myasthenia gravis?
 (00:12:56)

7. Alexion and its work on myasthenia gravis
 (00:18:35)

8. Myasthenia gravis clinical trials
 (00:21:14)

9. The importance of myasthenia gravis awareness month
 (00:22:01)

10. Would early diagnosis of myasthenia gravis make a difference? (00:23:58)

11. Transformation through new treatments (00:25:31)