Antigen-targeted biologic therapy for myasthenia gravis
Official title: Antigen specific treatment of AChR myasthenia gravis with an engineered biologic
Funded at Sierra Biopharma, INC. · NIH-11254976 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new biologic therapy is being developed to neutralize the harmful antibodies that attack the muscles in myasthenia gravis, offering a targeted alternative to broad immunosuppression.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Sbir 1 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Sierra Biopharma, INC. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Davis, United States) |
| Project start | July 15, 2026 |
| Project end | June 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $360,661 |
| NIH project number | 1R43NS145856-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11254976 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are individuals with acetylcholine receptor–mediated MG who have limited options due to adverse effects from current therapies.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose disease is not primarily driven by anti-MIR antibodies may not benefit from this targeted approach.
What this research studies
This project focuses on a biologic designed to specifically bind and remove the damaging anti-MIR antibodies that attack acetylcholine receptors in people with myasthenia gravis. The approach aims to selectively target the immune components involved in MG without broadly suppressing the immune system. Researchers will use an engineered MIR mimic peptide shown to bind pathogenic antibodies in an established animal model and move toward human relevance. The study is funded to support early development and preclinical steps over roughly two years at Sierra BioPharma, Inc. with a plan to inform future human testing.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients with MG could have a non-immunosuppressive treatment that directly neutralizes disease-causing antibodies.
How similar studies have gone: Preclinical data in the MG animal model (EAMG) showed that MIR-mimic peptide binds pathogenic antibodies, supporting continued development.
Where this research is happening
-
Sierra Biopharma, INC.
Davis, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Fairclough, Robert H — Sierra Biopharma, INC.
- Study coordinator: Fairclough, Robert H
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Understanding how autoimmunity causes myasthenia gravis
This project looks at why the immune system attacks the nerve-muscle connection in myasthenia gravis and how different patient groups are affected.
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Biological age in myasthenia gravis: guiding who responds to treatment
A patient-friendly look at how a person’s biological age, not just their calendar age, might predict how MG patients respond to treatment and how treatments could even reduce biological aging.
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CapTURE-MG: A patient-friendly MG data toolkit in a common EHR
A multi-site effort to use a streamlined MG toolkit inside the Epic EHR to collect consistent, real-world information about myasthenia gravis from routine care.
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Rare Disease Network for Myasthenia Gravis
A nationwide effort to improve diagnosis, monitoring, and trial readiness for people with myasthenia gravis through biomarker work and better care tools.
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Understanding how autoimmune attacks cause myasthenia gravis
Researchers are studying how the immune system mistakenly targets the neuromuscular junction in myasthenia gravis to identify why the disease starts and how it progresses.
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Mechanistically informed deep learning to study autoreactive B cells in Myasthenia Gravis
A study using advanced computer models to find hidden immune-cell signals in people with Myasthenia Gravis, including those who don’t yet show detectable antibodies.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.