Tacrolimus filed in Japan for wider myasthenia gravis use
This article was originally published in Scrip
Executive Summary
Astellashas made a Japanese submission to extend the use of its immunosuppressant Prograf (tacrolimus) in myasthenia gravis (MG) patients. The product was approved in 2000 for post-thymectomy MG patients in whom steroids are ineffective or inappropriate, and the new filing seeks clearance for all types of MG. The autoimmune disorder is characterised by muscle weakness from the disruption of neuromuscular transmission, and tacrolimus acts to suppress the production of lymphocyte-mediated cytokines and anti-acetylcholine receptor antibodies.