MyoCon 2026, held Sept. 24-27, is the world’s largest annual gathering of people with myositis, a rare and often misunderstood group of autoimmune diseases
ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, NC, UNITED STATES, September 21, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — The Myositis Association (TMA) will hold MyoCon 2026, its annual global patient conference, September 24–27 in St. Louis. Now in its 31st year, the gathering convenes hundreds of people living with myositis along with their care partners, clinicians and researchers from around the world to find inspiration, exchange information and advocate for better diagnostics and treatments.
Myositis is a group of rare autoimmune diseases involving chronic muscle inflammation, often accompanied by symptoms such as pain, fatigue and trouble swallowing.
“The Myositis Association is dedicated to improving the lives of people affected by myositis through education, support, advocacy and research,” said Paula Eichenbrenner, executive director of TMA. “MyoCon brings these resources together in one place so that people can learn from leading experts, share what they’ve learned and connect with others who understand what it’s like to live with myositis.”
Hear voices of strength and hope
Two inspiring keynote speakers will share powerful stories and perspectives on resilience, compassion and the experience of living with chronic disease.
Meghan O’Rourke, New York Times best-selling author of The Invisible Kingdom: Reimagining Chronic Illness, is the meeting’s opening keynote speaker. She will share her experience of a decade of misdiagnosis and years of reporting on the rise of chronic illness. O’Rourke will explore ways to feel seen, how to find language for what is hard to name, and what becomes possible when we stop suffering in silence and speak together.
Mike Bush, longtime news anchor at St. Louis’ KSDK-TV NBC affiliate, will provide the meeting’s closing keynote. Bush is known for his “Making a Difference” feature stories spotlighting everyday people doing extraordinary things. He has also hosted the Muscular Dystrophy Association Telethon for 40 years, helping raise millions of dollars. His keynote will draw from the people he has met at the intersection of struggle and resilience while highlighting the strength it takes to live with a chronic or rare disease.
Learn, connect and build community
The workshops and sessions at MyoCon 2026 are designed around living with myositis and cover topics from managing symptoms and treatment to staying active, finding support and navigating everyday life.
Breakout sessions: More than 35 breakout sessions cover topics such as advocacy and faith, mental health, care partnerships, myositis and motherhood, navigating difficult conversations, assistance programs and the experiences of people who have participated in clinical trials. Experts will also present the latest research updates and advances in treatment and care.
Tailored sessions: The meeting includes opportunities to learn about the basics of specific myositis diseases and get questions answered directly by myositis experts. These sessions are tailored to specific diagnoses such as dermatomyositis, immune-mediated necrotizing myopathy, inclusion body myositis, antisynthetase syndrome, and polymyositis and overlap myositis.
Excursions: MyoCon 2026 excursions include a trip to the Neuroscience Research Building at Washington University in St. Louis, where leading experts will speak about emerging research priorities, measures of daily function, genomics and other timely myositis topics.
Heroes in the Fight Awards Gala: This celebration of leadership, care, science and advocacy in the myositis community will honor patient advocate Father Stuart Long, a priest and inspiration for the film Father Stu; Conrad (Chris) Weihl, director of the Muscular Dystrophy Association Clinic at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis; the Hospital for Special Surgery’s Scleroderma, Vasculitis and Myositis Center in New York City; and Catherine (Kitty) Trejo, a longtime supporter and volunteer in the myositis community. (Read more).
Attending the conference
MyoCon 2026 registration information: https://www.myositis.org/myositis-conference/registration/
For more information or to obtain a press pass, please contact media@myositis.org.
Sponsors
MyoCon 2026 is made possible by the generous support of our sponsors:
• Symphony Sponsors: Octapharma, Pfizer, Priovant Therapeutics, Boehringer Ingelheim
• Blues Sponsors: argenx, Bristol Myers Squibb, Keenova Therapeutics
• Foundry Sponsors: Nkarta, Novartis
• Heritage Sponsors: Abcuro, Cabaletta Bio, Cartesian Therapeutics, CSI Pharmacy, Johnson & Johnson, Nufactor, Optum, Restem, Soleo Health
• Heroes in the Fight Sponsors: argenx (lead sponsor for TMA’s Patient Ambassador Award), Abcuro, AstraZeneca, Bristol Myers Squibb, Johnson & Johnson, Octapharma, Priovant Therapeutics
About The Myositis Association
The Myositis Association is the leading nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of individuals affected by myositis through education, support, advocacy and research. TMA is committed to fostering a sense of community that empowers individuals to live their best life. https://www.myositis.org/
About Myositis
Myositis, also known as inflammatory idiopathic myopathy, is a set of autoimmune diseases involving chronic inflammation of the muscles. This inflammation often occurs together with other symptoms, such as pain, fatigue and trouble swallowing.
Myositis is a rare disease with various forms, including antisynthetase syndrome (ASyS), dermatomyositis (DM), immune-mediated necrotizing myopathy (IMNM), inclusion body myositis (IBM), juvenile forms of myositis (JM) and polymyositis (PM). Although there are currently no cures for any of the forms, medications and exercises can help with symptom management, and new treatments are under development. www.myositis.org/about-myositis/
Anne Johnson
The Myositis Association
media@myositis.org
Visit us on social media:
LinkedIn
Instagram
Facebook
YouTube
X
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability
for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this
article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
Media gallery
