News

2 more US patents expected for Catalyst’s Firdapse in next 2 months

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has sent a notice of allowance for two additional patents for Firdapse (amifampridine), Catalyst Pharmaceuticals’ approved therapy for Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS), for claims related to its bioavailability under fasting and fed dosing conditions. Catalyst, which has licensing rights in North…

Autoimmune encephalitis, while rare, complicates LEMS’ course

In an elderly man, Lambert–Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS) was complicated by overlapping symptoms of autoimmune encephalitis, a type of brain inflammation caused by self-reactive antibodies, according to a report from Japan. “When atypical symptoms occur in patients with LEMS, it is important to consider the possibility of concomitant autoimmune…

First case of spontaneous lung cancer regression reported in LEMS

In the first documented case of its kind, spontaneous cancer regression was seen in a man in Japan with Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS) associated with lung cancer. Given that cancer-associated LEMS is thought to be triggered by the immune system attacking cancer cells, scientists believe such a LEMS-driving immune…

NORD to add 2 rare disease registries to IAMRARE platform

The National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) is now accepting applications from patient advocacy organizations — ones focused on supporting people with a rare disease, such as Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS) — to implement two new patient registries on its IAMRARE platform. To amplify its set of…

Unusual symptoms of LEMS seen in rare case of woman, 62: Report

A 62-year-old woman with a long history of smoking was diagnosed with Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS) after experiencing rare symptoms of the autoimmune disease — specifically, early respiratory failure and unresponsive pupils. These symptoms occurred following an in-hospital cardiac arrest, the clinicians noted in a case report. Initially treated for…

LEMS often goes unrecognized in US patients with lung cancer: Study

Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS) may be underdiagnosed in a sizeable fraction of people with small cell lung cancer (SCLC), a study analyzing real-world data suggests. Based on these findings, scientists argue that standardized protocols to screen people with SCLC for LEMS “may be warranted.” David Morrell, senior vice president…