Conquer Myasthenia Gravis

What Conquer Myasthenia Gravis does

Conquer Myasthenia Gravis (DBA: Conquer MG; formerly the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of Illinois) is a Chicago-headquartered nonprofit patient advocacy organization founded in 1975 that serves individuals affected by myasthenia gravis (MG), a rare neurological autoimmune disorder causing fluctuating muscle weakness sometimes referred to as 'the snowflake disease.' The organization primarily serves MG patients, their families and caregivers, and treating healthcare providers across Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin, while distributing educational content nationally via its website (myastheniagravis.org), email newsletter, and YouTube channel. All patient-facing services are provided free of charge, including support group meetings, a Direct Patient Assistance Program to offset treatment costs, clinical trial information, and educational materials on living with MG.

Conquer MG's offerings are organized around patient services, education, and research co-funding rather than technology products. Its research program has awarded thirteen grants over a ten-year span and, since 2020, has co-funded the MGNet Pilot Grant Award equally with NIH/NINDS and the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America to support early-stage MG research. The organization is a member of the Autoimmune Research Network (ARNet), sponsored by the American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association (AARDA), enabling patient participation in broader autoimmune disease studies. Additional programs include the annual Snowflake Shuffle for MG fundraiser, the Tracy Shackelford MG Service Award, Resource Fairs, an advocacy toolkit used during Rare Disease Week in Washington, DC, and an extensive YouTube education series covering stress management, nutrition, exercise, and clinical trial participation.

Revenue is generated through individual donations, corporate sponsorships, the Mary B. Prokop research bequest, and co-funded grants; no products are sold to customers and the organization has no traditional equity ownership. Pharmaceutical partners including argenx, Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Amgen, and UCB sponsor events and provide educational content about generalized myasthenia gravis treatments. Conquer MG is governed by a Board of Trustees and advised by a Medical Advisory Board, operates without a parent company or institutional backing, and does not publicly disclose financial figures. The organization celebrated its 50th year of operation in 2025.

Name

Conquer Myasthenia Gravis

Legal name

Conquer Myasthenia Gravis

Website

https://myastheniagravis.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Conquer Myasthenia Gravis (Conquer MG) is a Chicago-based nonprofit patient advocacy organization founded in 1975 that provides free support groups, patient financial assistance, and co-funded MG research grants for myasthenia gravis patients in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Patient Advocacy Services

NAICS

Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGACAA

Disease-Specific Research & Support (e.g., Cancer, Diabetes, ALS)

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Health & Medical Nonprofits

SECONDARYBPAGAKAL

Health & Medical Research Grantmaking Foundations

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Philanthropy, Foundations & Grantmaking

Keywords

• Patient advocacy services
• Myasthenia gravis support
• Disease awareness education
• Medical research grants
• Nonprofit health organization

Headquarters

HQ city

Elmhurst

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations from individuals: Individual donors contribute to support patient services, educational programs, public awareness, physician awareness, research support, and day-to-day operations. Donations can be made online or by mail, with options to designate gifts for research.
2. Corporate donations: Corporations donate to support the organization's mission. The organization has pharmaceutical company partners including argenx, Alexion, Amgen, and UCB who sponsor events.
3. Mary B. Prokop research bequest: Research funding is provided through a designated research bequest, plus individual and corporate donations specified for research purposes.
4. Grants and co-funding: The organization receives and co-funds research grants, including MGNet Pilot Grant Awards co-funded equally by Conquer MG, the NIH, and the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America.

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Conquer Myasthenia Gravis is a nonprofit patient advocacy organization that provides free support services, educational resources, clinical trial information, and a Direct Patient Assistance Program for individuals living with myasthenia gravis (MG). It also funds medical research through grants, including the co-funded MGNet Pilot Grant Award with NIH and the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America, and delivers community events such as Resource Fairs and the Snowflake Shuffle fundraiser.

Product overview

Conquer Myasthenia Gravis is a non-profit patient advocacy organization offering a comprehensive suite of services for myasthenia gravis patients. The organization's core offerings include free support group meetings, a Direct Patient Assistance Program for treatment costs, and research grants through the MGNet Pilot Grant Award co-funded with NIH. Additional services encompass clinical trials resources, newsletters, YouTube video education series, an advocacy toolkit, and community events including Resource Fairs and the Snowflake Shuffle for MG annual fundraiser. The organization also facilitates participation in broader autoimmune disease research through the ARNet network.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Support Groups Free in-person and virtual support group meetings connecting MG patients with others who understand the experience of living with myasthenia gravis. Meetings are free to attend and scheduled regularly.
• Direct Patient Assistance Program Financial assistance program that helps qualifying MG patients with the high cost of treatment for myasthenia gravis.
• Research Grants Medical research funding program that has awarded thirteen grants over 10 years to support myasthenia gravis research. Funded through individual and corporate donations specified for research, including the Mary B. Prokop research bequest.
• Clinical Trials Resources Information and resources about clinical trials for myasthenia gravis, including recruiting-trial information and educational materials explaining how clinical trials work for patients and providers.
• Newsletters Free regular newsletters providing news and updates about myasthenia gravis research, treatments, and community events. Sign-up is available on the website.
• YouTube Video Education Series Educational video series featuring expert discussions on living with MG, covering stress management, meditation, nutrition, exercise, clinical trials, prednisone side effects, and other MG-relevant topics.
• Advocacy Toolkit Resources and tools that help MG patients advocate for themselves and the broader MG community, including participation in Rare Disease Week in Washington, DC.
• Resource Fairs and Patient Seminars In-person educational events including the Spring Resource Fair, Fall Resource Fair, Living with MG Video Education Series, and Fall Patient Seminars featuring expert speakers that connect patients with clinicians and resources in their community.
• MGNet Pilot Grant Award Co-funded research grant program with the NIH (NINDS) and the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America that supports beginning-stage projects and researchers new to the MG field. Funded equally by the three partners since 2020.

Quantifiable outcome

• 13 research grants awarded in 10 years to advance MG research
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• argenxcoreGTM or Marketing Partnerargenx is a key pharmaceutical partner of Conquer MG, sponsoring events like the Snowflake Shuffle and providing educational content about VYVGART (efgartigimod) treatments for generalized myasthenia gravis. The partnership includes announcements about FDA approvals and new treatment options for MG patients.
• Alexion PharmaceuticalscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerAlexion is a pharmaceutical partner sponsoring Conquer MG events and educational initiatives related to generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG). They hosted an educational event on gMG featured on the Conquer MG website.
• AmgenminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAmgen sponsors Conquer MG events including the Snowflake Shuffle, supporting the MG community and helping raise awareness and funds for myasthenia gravis.
• UCBminorGTM or Marketing PartnerUCB sponsors Conquer MG events, supporting the organization's mission to help MG patients and raise awareness.
• MG AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMG Alliance is a partner organization working with Conquer MG to support the myasthenia gravis community, featured on the organization's website as a partner.
• MGNet (Rare Diseases Network)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMGNet is a network of academia, pharma, and patient advocacy groups that Conquer MG works with to target medical research funding. Conquer MG co-funds the MGNet Pilot Grant Award, which supports beginning-stage projects and researchers new to MG research.
• National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNINDS, part of the NIH, has primary responsibility for conducting and supporting research on myasthenia gravis. Conquer MG co-funds MGNet Pilot Grants equally with NINDS and the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America.
• Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of AmericacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMGFA co-sponsors the MGNet Pilot Grant Award with Conquer MG and NIH/NINDS. MGFA also sponsors the MG Registry for clinical trial recruitment and provides emergency management pamphlets.
• American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association (AARDA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAARDA sponsors the Autoimmune Research Network (ARNet), of which Conquer MG is a member. ARNet enables patients to participate in broad-based autoimmune disease research and connects researchers with qualified participants.
• Muscular Dystrophy AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMDA sponsors MG research alongside Conquer MG's efforts to find a cure for myasthenia gravis.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• American Cancer Society: The largest US disease-specific voluntary health organization; comparable because it represents the gold-standard operating model (research funding, patient services, pharma sponsorships, advocacy) that benchmarks what a mature disease-specific health nonprofit looks like.
• National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD): The leading US umbrella organization for rare diseases, including MG; comparable because it provides advocacy training, research grants, and patient resources that compete with or complement a disease-specific nonprofit like Conquer MG.
• ALS Association: A large US voluntary health organization for a different neuromuscular disease; comparable as a structural peer in the disease-specific voluntary health space, running support services, research grants, pharma partnerships, and advocacy campaigns with a similar operating model.
• American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association (AARDA): The umbrella US autoimmune disease advocacy organization that sponsors the ARNet network in which Conquer MG participates; comparable because it serves the broader autoimmune patient community and supports research coalitions overlapping with MG.
• Autoimmune Association: A US nonprofit dedicated to autoimmune disease advocacy and awareness broadly; comparable because it competes for awareness, donor dollars, and patient engagement across the same autoimmune patient population that includes MG.
• National Multiple Sclerosis Society: A large US voluntary health organization for another autoimmune neurological disease; comparable because its operating model (support groups, patient assistance, research grants, pharma-funded education, advocacy) closely mirrors the structure of a smaller disease-specific nonprofit like Conquer MG.
• Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA): A large established neuromuscular-disease nonprofit that co-sponsors MG research alongside Conquer MG; comparable because it covers a broader neuromuscular portfolio but funds MG research and provides patient services that overlap with Conquer MG's offerings.

Emerging players

• EveryLife Foundation for Rare Diseases: A US rare-disease policy advocacy organization focused on accelerating rare-disease therapeutic development; comparable because it provides advocacy tooling and DC engagement (e.g., Rare Disease Week) that overlap with Conquer MG's advocacy toolkit activities for the MG community.

Direct peers

• Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America: The national US patient advocacy organization for myasthenia gravis; directly comparable because it funds MG research (including the MGNet Pilot Grant that Conquer MG co-funds), runs patient education and support programs, and competes for the same MG patient, caregiver, and donor audiences.
• MG Alliance: A patient-led MG advocacy coalition formally listed as a partner of Conquer MG; directly comparable because it operates in the same MG-specific advocacy and awareness niche and serves overlapping patient and stakeholder audiences.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ConquerMG
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCXbo3g8tJ_vFCY3QO9W1Ggg
• Facebookfacebook.com/ConquerMyastheniaGravis
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/myasthenia-gravis-foundation-of-illinois-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Conquer Myasthenia Gravis