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Treatment with Firdapse (Amifampridine phosphate) or Ruzurgi (3,4‐diaminopyridine, or 3,4‐DAP) is effective and well-tolerated among people with Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS), even in the presence of immunosuppressants or other medications that alter the responsiveness of the immune system, a review has found. The review study,…

Diagnosing Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS) as early as possible is key for effectively managing the disease, according to a review study, which also highlights the need to test for small cell lung cancer in these patients. The review, “Lambert-Eaton Myasthenic syndrome: early diagnosis is key,”…

A study provided an overview of the use of amifampridine (brand names  Firdapse and the recently approved Ruzurgi), along with other treatment choices for Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome, including those for resistant muscle weakness. The review study, “Recent Advances and Therapeutic Options in Lambert-Eaton Myasthenic Syndrome,” was published…

A 71-year-old man has been diagnosed with both Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS) and thymic small cell cancer in a rare case study linking the two conditions. The study, titled “Thymic small cell carcinoma associated with Lambert–Eaton myasthenic syndrome,” appeared in The Annals of Thoracic Surgery. Thymic…

Amifampridine-based medications are the most effective and safest options for managing symptoms of Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS), and should be chosen as the first-line management therapy for the rare autoimmune disorder, a review proposes. The study, “Amifampridine for the treatment of Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome,” was published…

Next month’s annual conference of the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) in Washington, D.C., couldn’t come at a better time, says Marshall Summar, MD, chairman of NORD’s board of directors. “The pace of discovery in rare diseases has gone from brisk to hypersonic,” Summar told Bionews Services, publisher…

A case report describes a rare event of tongue muscle atrophy (shrinkage) in a 48-year-old man with Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome who also was diagnosed with small-cell lung cancer (SCLC). Following radiotherapy for the tumor, the patient fully recovered control of the tongue. The study, “Reversible tongue atrophy in Lambert-Eaton…

Rare diseases deeply affect not only the children who experience them, but also their healthy brothers and sisters, as their parents can attest.    Two entries in November’s “Disorder: The Rare Disease Film Festival” will focus on what siblings go through, according to the San Francisco festival’s co-founder,…

Developing gene therapies for rare diseases is one thing. Creating gene-edited “designer babies” is quite another. German legal expert Timo Minssen outlined the potentially explosive ethical landmines surrounding such issues during a recent talk at the New York Genome Center. Minssen directs the Center for Advanced Studies in…

3,4‐diaminopyridine — the active ingredient of the only FDA-approved treatment for adults with Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS) — effectively targets muscles in rats and has a long-lasting effect in the body, a study says. The findings of the study, “Pharmacokinetics and Tissue Distribution of 3,4‐Diaminopyridine in Rats,”…