Marisa Wexler, MS, senior science writer —

Catalyst Pharmaceuticals has secured three new U.S. patents covering the use of Firdapse (amifampridine) for treating Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS). The United States Patent and Trademark Office informed Catalyst that one new patent will be issued on March 8 and two more a week later on March 15.

A new podcast, called LEMS Aware, is launching this month on international Rare Disease Day with the goal of connecting members of the Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS) community and increasing awareness about the disease. The podcast will focus on topics unique to LEMS, but also of interest to the…

People affected by Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS) and other rare diseases in the U.S. are encouraged to share their experiences through a new initiative called “What’s Your Story?” Submissions from patients, as well as caregivers and family members, are being accepted through March 2 via an online…

Catalyst Pharmaceuticals is planning to request that the approved use of Firdapse in the U.S. be expanded to include children with Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS). The company also announced, as part of its “patient first” commitment, an intention to sustain established access programs so that anyone with LEMS seeking…

Investment in companies developing treatments for Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS) and other rare diseases increased by 28% in 2021 compared with the previous year, according to a new report from the rare disease nonprofit Global Genes. “Rare diseases continue to have a strong allure to investors, as evidenced…

A federal appeals court has denied Jacobus Pharmaceutical’s petition to rehear its prior ruling overturning the U.S. approval of the company’s Ruzurgi to treat children with Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS). The decision is a victory for Catalyst Pharmaceuticals, which sued the U.S. Food and Drug Administration over Ruzurgi’s approval…

A federal appeals court has ruled that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) should not have approved Ruzurgi (amifampridine) for the treatment of children with Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS). The decision by the U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeals is a win for Catalyst Pharmaceuticals, which…

Cholinesterase inhibitors may be useful in controlling the symptoms of Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS) in people with relatively mild disease, as highlighted in a recent case report. The findings suggest that these medications may be particularly useful for managing LEMS in countries where Firdapse (amifampridine) — the…

Jacobus Pharmaceutical has issued a voluntary recall for three lots of Ruzurgi (amifampridine), a medication that is approved in the U.S. to treat people with Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS) ages 6–17. According to the company’s announcement, while doing confirmatory full testing on one of the lots, control…

Immunofluorescence, a technique that can be used to detect antibodies associated with Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS), was negative in a 72-year-old woman, but another technique — called immunoblot — was positive for LEMS-associated antibodies. This ultimately allowed for a LEMS diagnosis and the discovery of a previously unknown tumor.