June 2: Myasthenia in the Spotlight – Disease, Research, Commitment
June 2 marks the European Myasthenia Gravis Day, an awareness initiative launched in 2023 by the European coalition ALL United for MG. This mobilisation brings together several patient organisations across Europe, including AFM-Téléthon. Its goals: to raise awareness of this rare disease, inform healthcare professionals, and actively support research efforts.
A rare disease with fluctuating symptoms
Myasthenia gravis is a chronic autoimmune neuromuscular disorder that disrupts communication between nerves and muscles. It primarily causes excessive fatigability and muscle weakness, with intensity and location varying over time. In daily life, tasks such as working or shopping can become difficult, and even simple gestures—speaking, chewing, walking, or raising one’s arms—can become real challenges.
Often underdiagnosed, myasthenia gravis is unpredictable, frequently invisible, and still largely unknown, even among medical professionals.
Key figures
In France, an estimated 23,000 adults live with autoimmune myasthenia gravis, approximately 1 in 3,000 people. Each year, 1,500 new cases are diagnosed, and one-third of patients are over the age of 65. Across Europe, the condition is believed to affect between 56,000 and 112,000 individuals, based on prevalence estimates.
Access to diagnosis and treatment remains highly uneven between countries.
Research gaining momentum
Research on autoimmune myasthenia gravis is advancing rapidly. In 2025, 112 clinical trials were underway worldwide, including 18 in France. Between April 2024 and April 2025, over 880 scientific publications on the disease were recorded. Multiple therapeutic avenues are being explored, focusing on immune mechanisms responsible for producing pathogenic autoantibodies.
Some of these approaches aim to better control the autoimmune response by targeting the cells or processes that disrupt the neuromuscular junction. These efforts are paving the way for the development of more targeted and potentially better-tolerated treatments.
At the Institute of Myology, the team "Myasthenia Gravis: Etiology, Pathophysiology & Therapeutic Approaches", led by Rozen Le Panse and supported by AFM-Téléthon, is currently conducting a study on predictive biomarkers of therapeutic efficacy in myasthenia gravis. The objective: to help guide treatment choices based on each patient’s immunological profile, enabling more tailored and effective care.
Clinical trials, ongoing studies, scientific and medical advances... Explore the latest developments in autoimmune myasthenia research in the most recent edition of Savoir & Comprendre – Advances 2025 in Autoimmune Myasthenia Gravis.