All About Vyvgart

What is Vyvgart used for?

Doctors prescribe Vyvgart for adults with generalized myasthenia gravis (MG) who test positive for antibodies against acetylcholine receptors (AChRs). AChRs are proteins on the surface of muscle cells.

MG is a kind of autoimmune disease. If you have an autoimmune disease, antibodies in your immune system mistakenly cause damage to your own cells. Generalized MG causes muscle weakness, which can affect different parts of the body, including the eyes, arms, legs, and chest.

AChRs are receptors (a type of protein) on the surface of muscle cells. They are important for nerve-muscle communication. When antibodies block or damage these receptors, communication between nerve cells and skeletal muscle cells is decreased. This causes weakness in the muscles you use to move your body.

Symptoms of MG can include:

• weakness in your arms or legs
• muscle fatigue
• difficulty breathing, swallowing, or talking
• drooping eyelids
• changes in facial expressions

Vyvgart treats MG by removing certain antibodies from your body. This helps to protect AChRs and improves communication between nerve cells and skeletal muscle cells. To learn more about how Vyvgart works, see the manufacturer’s website.

What does Vyvgart cost?

Costs of prescription drugs can vary depending on many factors. These factors include what your insurance plan covers and where you receive your infusions.

If you have questions about how to pay for your prescription, talk with your doctor. You can also look at the drug manufacturer’s website to learn more about a patient support program called My Vyvgart Path. If you have private insurance, you may be eligible for the Vyvgart Co-Pay Program.

For more about what you might pay for Vyvgart, see this Vyvgart cost article. To learn about ways to lower prescription medication costs, you can also check out these tips for saving money on prescriptions.

What are Vyvgart’s side effects?

Like most drugs, Vyvgart may cause mild or serious side effects. The following lists describe some of the more common side effects that Vyvgart may cause. These lists don’t include all possible side effects.

Keep in mind that side effects of a drug can depend on:

• your age
• other health conditions you have
• other medications you take

Your doctor or pharmacist can tell you more about the potential side effects of Vyvgart. They can also suggest ways to help reduce side effects.

Mild side effects

Here’s a list of some of the mild side effects that Vyvgart can cause. To learn about other mild side effects, talk with your doctor or pharmacist, or read Vyvgart’s prescribing information.

Mild side effects of Vyvgart that have been reported include:

• mild infection, including respiratory infection and urinary tract infection (UTI)
• headache
• muscle aches and pains
• numbness and tingling on your skin or in your mouth
• increased sensitivity to touch, pressure, or pain
• mild allergic reaction
• infusion-related reactions, which include high blood pressure, chills, and abdominal or back pain

While infusion-related reactions were not reported in studies of Vyvgart, they were reported after the drug became available.

To learn more about allergic reaction, see the “Allergic reaction” section later in this article.

Mild side effects of many drugs may go away within a few days to a couple of weeks. But if they become bothersome, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

Serious side effects

Serious side effects from Vyvgart can occur, but they aren’t common. If you have serious side effects from Vyvgart, call your doctor right away. But if you think you’re having a medical emergency, you should call 911 or your local emergency number.

Serious side effects of Vyvgart that have been reported include:

• low levels of infection-fighting blood cells, including:
  • white blood cells
  • lymphocytes
  • neutrophils
• severe allergic reaction

Allergic reaction

Some people may have an allergic reaction to Vyvgart. These reactions were rare in studies of Vyvgart, and most instances were mild. However, serious reactions can still occur.

Symptoms of a mild allergic reaction can include:

• skin rash
• itchiness
• flushing (temporary warmth, redness, or deepening of skin color)

A more severe allergic reaction is rare but possible. Though not reported in studies of the drug, anaphylaxis (a potentially life threatening reaction) and fainting from low blood pressure were reported after the drug became available.

Symptoms of a severe allergic reaction can include swelling under your skin, usually in your eyelids, lips, hands, or feet. They can also include swelling of your tongue, mouth, or throat, which can cause difficulty breathing.

Anaphylaxis and fainting from low blood pressure occurred during or within 1 hour after receiving Vyvgart. A healthcare professional will monitor you while you receive your infusion and for 1 hour after. If you start to develop symptoms of these reactions, they will treat you right away.

Call your doctor right away if you have an allergic reaction to Vyvgart. But if you think you’re having a medical emergency, call 911 or your local emergency number.

What is Vyvgart’s dosage?

Your doctor will recommend the dosage of Vyvgart that’s right for you. The following text discusses commonly prescribed dosages, but the dosage you receive will be determined by your doctor.

Form and strength

Vyvgart comes as a liquid solution for intravenous (IV) infusion (an injection into your vein given over time).

Each single-use vial contains 400 milligrams (mg) of drug in 20 milliliters (mL) of liquid solution. Its strength is 20 milligrams per milliliter (mg/mL).

Recommended dosage

For treating myasthenia gravis, your doctor will likely recommend that you receive at least one 4-week treatment cycle of Vyvgart.

Your dose depends on your body weight. The usual dose of Vyvgart is 10 mg for each kilogram (kg) of body weight, up to a maximum dose of 1,200 mg. For reference, 1 kg is approximately 2.2 pounds (lb). As an example, a person weighing 80 kg (about 176 lb) will receive an 800-mg dose of Vyvgart.

Each week, you’ll receive one Vyvgart dose, for a total of four doses.

Your doctor will determine whether you’ll need more treatment cycles. Vyvgart does not cure myasthenia gravis, so you may need repeated treatments over time.

Questions about Vyvgart’s dosing

Here are some common questions about Vyvgart’s dosing.

• What if I miss a dose of Vyvgart? If you miss an appointment to receive Vyvgart, call your doctor’s office or the infusion center as soon as possible. They’ll reschedule your appointment if you’re still within 3 days of the original appointment. If more than 3 days have passed since your appointment, they’ll likely recommend that you resume your treatment at the next scheduled appointment.
• Will I need to receive Vyvgart long term? Although Vyvgart is usually given in 4-week treatment cycles, many people will need additional cycles if their symptoms return. Your doctor will monitor your symptoms and decide when another cycle is needed. In studies, doctors prescribed a second treatment cycle an average of 94 days after the first treatment cycle was completed.
• How long does Vyvgart take to work? Vyvgart begins working with your first infusion. In studies, some people reported a reduction in symptoms after 1 week of treatment. But for many people, the full benefit was noticed after 4 weeks of treatment. (Examples of symptoms in the study include difficulty chewing, rising from a chair, and brushing teeth.)

What are some frequently asked questions about Vyvgart?

Find answers to some commonly asked questions about Vyvgart.

Is Vyvgart similar to Soliris and Ultomiris?

Yes, in some ways, Vyvgart is similar to Soliris (eculizumab) and Ultomiris (ravulizumab-cwvz).

Each can be prescribed to adults to treat generalized myasthenia gravis (MG), which affects the eye muscles as well as other muscles in the arms, legs, or chest. And they’re all prescribed to adults who have antibodies to the acetylcholine receptor.

Vyvgart, Soliris, and Ultomiris all work to decrease the activity of the immune system, but they do it in different ways. Vyvgart affects antibodies, while Soliris and Ultomiris affect a protein called complement C5.

Each drug is administered by a healthcare professional. They also share some similar side effects, such as headache and respiratory infection.

If you’d like to learn more about how other treatments for MG compare with Vyvgart, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

Does Vyvgart cause weight gain?

No, Vyvgart isn’t known to cause weight gain. This side effect wasn’t reported in studies of Vyvgart.

But weight gain can be an issue for some people with MG. This is because weakness caused by the condition can limit physical activity. In addition, some other treatments for MG can cause weight gain, including corticosteroids such as prednisone.

If you have concerns about your weight or want to know whether medications you’re taking may cause weight gain, talk with your doctor.

How does Vyvgart work?

With MG, antibodies in your immune system mistakenly block or damage certain receptors (a kind of protein) on the muscle cell surface. These receptors are important for nerve-muscle communication. When these receptors are blocked or damaged, you experience muscle weakness.

Vyvgart lowers the levels of these antibodies. It does this by blocking a protein that usually protects antibodies. These antibodies are then removed from the body.

With Vyvgart treatment, fewer antibodies are present to block or damage these receptors on the muscle cell surface. This means that nerve-muscle communication improves.

To learn more about MG and how Vyvgart works, see the “What is Vyvgart used for?” section. You can also talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

How is Vyvgart administered?

Your doctor will explain how Vyvgart will be given to you. They’ll also explain how much you’ll be given and how often.

Receiving Vyvgart

Vyvgart comes as a liquid solution in a vial. A healthcare professional will prepare Vyvgart and give you your dose as an intravenous (IV) infusion (an injection into your vein given over time).

The infusion will take about 1 hour, but you’ll stay a little longer to be monitored for any side effects after the infusion. This all takes place at your doctor’s office, hospital, or infusion center.

Questions about receiving Vyvgart

Here are some common questions about receiving Vyvgart.

• Should I receive Vyvgart with food? Food does not affect Vyvgart. You can go to your appointment regardless of whether you’ve eaten recently. However, it’s important to remember you’ll be receiving an IV. It’s easier for the healthcare professional to start your IV if you’re well hydrated.
• How long will it take to receive my Vyvgart infusion? Vyvgart infusions usually last about 1 hour. Consider bringing a book, podcast, or game to pass the time during your infusion. A healthcare professional will be close by to monitor your health and vital signs during the infusion so that you can relax.