Eculizumab Versus Rituxmab for Acetylcholine Receptor-positive Generalized Myasthenia Gravis: Single-center Experience
Hacer Durmus1, Arman Cakar1, Fatma Yesim Parman1
1Department of Neurology, Istanbul Faculty of Medicine
Objective:

To describe the baseline characteristics, treatment and safety outcomes of the patients with acetylcholine receptor-positive (AChR+) generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG) treated with eculizumab and/or rituximab in our clinic.

Background:

Rituximab and eculizumab are considered as treatment options for refractory MG, but comparative clinical data which is derived from real world experience is still limited.

Design/Methods:
Patients with refractory AChR+ gMG who received over a year of eculizumab or/and rituximab at the Department of Neurology, Istanbul Faculty of Medicine were included in this observational study. After consent, demographic data, MG Foundation of America (MGFA) classification before treatment initiation, MGFA post intervention status (MGFA-PIS) after the treatment, MG activities of daily living (MG-ADL) score and serious adverse events (SAEs) during the treatment were collected from medical records, retrospectively). Twelve patients under eculizumab and 25 under rituximab were included in the study.  
Results:

Both groups were comparable in terms of clinical, demographic characteristics, age of onset, disease duration and presence of thymoma. Eculizumab was associated with a statistically significant better outcome compared with rituximab, as measured by the decrease of the MGADL score at 1, 3th, 6th and 12 months of treatment, steroid sparing effect after a year of treatment (mean decrease of prednisolone -21.8mg±13.5 vs -6.6mg±9.4), the need of rescue treatment (IVIG) and myasthenic crisis during the treatment (p<0.001) with similar safety profile. Six had received rituximab prior to eculizumab at least a for a year without sufficient symptom control (MG-ADL ≥9), all of them achieved MM status at the 3th month of eculizumab treatment and maintained MM at the 12th month.

Conclusions:

Out data provides real-world evidence supporting the use of eculizumab over rituximab for the treatment of refractory, anti-AChR-ab positive MG, as eculizumab led to rapid and sustained achievement of MM.

10.1212/WNL.0000000000204958