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More than 700 medical experts, pharmaceutical executives, patient advocates, and others are expected to converge on Washington, D.C., next month for the 2018 NORD Rare Diseases & Orphan Products Breakthrough Summit. The Oct. 15-16 event, sponsored by the National Organization for Rare Diseases (NORD), takes place at the…

A quick and noninvasive test, called the triple-timed up-and-go test, is a reliable and reproducible tool to assess muscle weakness in Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS) patients, according to a study. Results from the study will be presented at the upcoming American Association of Neuromuscular & Electrodiagnostic Medicine (AANEM) Annual…

A new case report describes a patient with Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS), small cell cervical cancer and breast cancer. This is the first report of a LEMS patient with two different cancers and underlines the importance of prompt diagnosis and treatment. The case study, “Lambert-Eaton…

Contrary to current thinking, testing for levels of antibodies against voltage-gated calcium channels may not be highly specific for Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS), researchers caution in a recent study. The study, “Low specificity of voltage-gated calcium channel antibodies in Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome: a call for caution,” was published…

A new case study describes a patient with Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS), myasthenia gravis (MG), and metastatic small cell lung cancer (SCLC). The report from Shandong, China, is titled “Coexistence of myasthenia gravis and Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome in a small cell lung cancer patient:…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has accepted Catalyst Pharmaceuticals’ new drug application (NDA) for Firdapse (amifampridine phosphate) for Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS), with priority review status. Firdapse is a formulation of amifampridine phosphate in development for the treatment of LEMS as well as other conditions. Several clinical studies have…

Patients with Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS) and cerebellar ataxia may have autoantibodies against calcium channels, a Mayo Clinic study indicates. The study, titled “Calcium Channel Autoimmunity: Cerebellar Ataxia and Lambert-Eaton Syndrome Coexisting,” appeared in the journal Muscle & Nerve. Patients with LEMS typically show muscle…

Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS) can occur along with other autoimmune diseases affecting the nervous system, namely limbic encephalitis, in patients with lung cancer, a case study found. The study, “Coexistence of Lambert–Eaton myasthenic syndrome and autoimmune encephalitis with anti-CRMP5/CV2 and anti-GABAB receptor antibodies in small cell lung cancer: A case…

Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS) that’s not associated with cancer is associated with early onset of the disease, but it does not have an impact on the long-term survival of patients, according to researchers. These findings are from a large-scale study conducted by Duke Myasthenia Gravis Clinic researchers. The team…

Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS) has been linked to cancer, with more than half of LEMS patients having cancer, most of them a small cell lung cancer (SCLC). Researchers have now reported a rare case of LEMS associated with two types of cancer in a patient: breast cancer and small cell…