[S-25] New drug development and the change of treatment strategy in MG

[S-25-1] Overview: Why is the development of new treatment necessary in MG area?

Tomihiro Imai (Sapporo Medical University School of Health Sciences, Japan)

We are now experiencing the drastic changes in treatment strategy against MG. The Japanese clinical guidelines recommended lower dose of chronic steroids and early fast-acting treatment strategy. Recently, clinical trial of eculizumab was performed and the drug has been approved. Even after the proposal for these new strategies, nearly half of the MG patients do not achieve minimal manifestations status with prednisolone ≤5mg/day (a treatment target in Japan). Substantial number of patients are still administered insufficiently reduced oral steroids which hamper patients’ quality of life. Therefore, treatment status of MG is still far from our satisfaction. Fortunately, several new drugs are under development presently. In this symposium, we will discuss over the new drug development and adaptation status in real world clinical setting in United States, Europe and Asia.

Education:
1986 Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine

Appointments:
1986 Internships, Sapporo Medical University Hospital
1988 Staff fellow, National Sanatorium Yakumo Hospital
1990 Lecturer, Department of Physiology, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine
1992 Lecturer, Department of Neurology, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine
1998 Assistant Professor, Department of Neurology, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine
2013 Professor, Sapporo Medical University School of Health Sciences