Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42242900›Full record

Trial reportJournal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry2026

Pathogenic properties of myasthenia gravis AChR autoantibodies associate with clinical response to efgartigimod.

Fatemeh Khani-Habibabadi, Fien M Verhamme, Mahan Moshir, Tine Casneuf, Vijayaraghava T S Rao, Sophie Steeland, Peter Ulrichts, Minh C Pham, Richard J Nowak, Bhaskar Roy and 1 more

Abstract readRandomized Controlled TrialClinical Trial, Phase III
In one paragraph

Trial report in Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Fatemeh Khani-HabibabadiNeurology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3790-4946
Fien M Verhammeargenx BV, Ghent, Belgium.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0004-2470-6910
Mahan Moshirargenx BV, Ghent, Belgium.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0009-0287-1049
Tine Casneufargenx BV, Ghent, Belgium.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0005-8574-1231
Vijayaraghava T S Raoargenx BV, Ghent, Belgium.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9290-7050
Sophie Steelandargenx BV, Ghent, Belgium.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8989-130X
Peter Ulrichtsargenx BV, Ghent, Belgium.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2560-2732
Minh C PhamImmunobiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0234-4790
Richard J NowakNeurology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA.
Bhaskar RoyNeurology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3604-6310
Kevin C O'ConnorNeurology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA kevin.oconnor@yale.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7056-419X

Funding

INTERDISCIPLINARY IMMUNOLOGY TRAINING PROGRAMT32AI007019 · NIAID · YALE UNIVERSITY · PI Carrie L. Lucas, David G. Schatz · 1985 to 2026
$14.4M
Mechanisms of autoimmunity in myasthenia gravisR01AI114780 · NIAID · YALE UNIVERSITY · PI Kevin C O'Connor · 2016 to 2026
$4.7M
In-depth characterization of B-cell dysfunction in chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathyR01NS132860 · NINDS · YALE UNIVERSITY · PI Bhaskar Roy · 2024 to 2026
$1.2M
Molecular determinants driving diverse mechanisms of antibody-mediated pathologyR21AI164590 · NIAID · YALE UNIVERSITY · PI O'CONNOR, KEVIN C · 2021 to 2022
$461k
NIAID NIH HHS R01 AI114780NIAID NIH HHS R21 AI164590NIAID NIH HHS T32 AI007019NINDS NIH HHS R01 NS132860
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundEfgartigimod, a neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn) blocker, effectively reduces total IgG, including pathogenic acetylcholine receptor (AChR) autoantibodies in myasthenia gravis (MG); however, clinical responses vary. To investigate this variability, we studied how efgartigimod impacts AChR-specific autoantibody profiles and associated pathogenic mechanisms, including complement activation, AChR internalisation and ACh-binding site blockade.

methodsSerum samples (N=150) were sourced from 50 AChR autoantibody-positive generalised MG patients participating in the phase 3 ADAPT study, randomised to receive efgartigimod (N=40) or placebo (N=10) in cycles of 4-weekly infusions. Samples were collected at baseline, day 29 and day 57 during the first cycle. Live cell-based assays quantified AChR-specific IgG subclasses and isotypes and assessed their capacity to mediate pathomechanisms.

resultsEfgartigimod decreased all detectable AChR-specific IgG subclasses. At baseline, AChR autoantibody-mediated C3b deposition, AChR internalisation and ACh-binding site blockade were detected in 42 (84%), 41 (82%) and 10 (20%) patients, respectively. After 4-weekly infusions of efgartigimod, the magnitude of all three pathomechanisms was significantly decreased. However, the extent of this reduction varied across individuals. Double responders on both MG-activities of daily living and quantitative MG scores demonstrated a greater reduction in complement activity and AChR internalisation compared with patients who responded on only one score or were double non-responders. In addition, efgartigimod reduced IgG-dependent IgM binding to AChR.

conclusionsThese findings suggest that clinical efficacy may be more closely associated with functional modulation of the AChR-specific autoantibodies than with their absolute quantity alone. These results support the evaluation of mechanistic pathway monitoring as a potential strategy to predict or guide efgartigimod treatment response.

Indexed as

AutoantibodiesMyasthenia GravisReceptors, CholinergicAdultFemaleHistocompatibility Antigens Class IHumansImmunoglobulin GMaleMiddle AgedReceptors, FcAutoantibodiesFc receptor, neonatalHistocompatibility Antigens Class IImmunoglobulin GReceptors, CholinergicReceptors, FcMYASTHENIANEUROIMMUNOLOGY

Identifiers

PMID42242900
PMCPMC13384470

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.