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Cladribine in myasthenia gravis: a pilot open‐label study
Author(s) -
Rejdak K.,
Szklener S.,
Korchut A.,
Baranowski D.
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
european journal of neurology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.881
H-Index - 124
eISSN - 1468-1331
pISSN - 1351-5101
DOI - 10.1111/ene.14124
Subject(s) - medicine , cladribine , myasthenia gravis , refractory (planetary science) , adverse effect , clinical trial , population , gastroenterology , anesthesia , environmental health , astrobiology , physics
Background and purpose The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of cladribine treatments in a population of patients with refractory myasthenia gravis (MG). Methods In a prospective open‐label study of cladribine in refractory MG, 13 patients received cladribine at baseline with repetitive cycles driven by clinical response. A Myasthenia Gravis Composite (MGC) score was obtained and a standard dose of steroids was administered. Results A total of 11 patients achieved significant clinical improvement in MGC score during their therapy. The mean MGC score declined from 15.1 to 6.3 points within 4 months of observation. The dosage of prednisolone declined from 9.5 to 1.9 mg. None of the patients required intravenous immunoglobulin or plasma exchange treatments and no adverse events occurred in the study period. Conclusion Cladribine seems to be a safe and effective emergency therapy in a population of patients with refractory MG.