News

The Canadian government has committed to invest CA$1.5 billion (about $1.1 billion) over three years to improve access to medicines and ensure better care for people with Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS) and other rare diseases. The effort, being called the National Strategy for Drugs for Rare Diseases, also aims…

Catalyst Pharmaceuticals wants to increase the maximum recommended daily dosage of Firdapse (amifampridine), its Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS) treatment, to 100 mg. Plans are underway to ask the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to approve the new dose, the company announced in a press release detailing its…

For a woman with cancer complicated by Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS), treating the cancer with an immune checkpoint inhibitor did not worsen her LEMS, according to a report. Her case suggests that, at least in some instances, immune checkpoint inhibitors may be a treatment option for cancer patients who…

The online platform Patient Voice has opened a campaign, running throughout March, to spotlight the stories of people in Canada with rare diseases like Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS). This year’s effort under the Canada’s Rare Voices campaign, Patient Voice aims to share stories from patients, caregivers, and clinicians…

Catalyst Pharmaceuticals will mark this year’s Rare Disease Day by ringing the closing bell Feb. 28 at the Nasdaq Stock Market. The ceremony will begin at 3:30 p.m. ET, and can be viewed via livestream. Rare Disease Day, celebrated annually on the last day of February, raises awareness…

Five neuromuscular disease organizations will receive grants worth almost $110,000 in total from the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) to fund key public policy and advocacy initiatives. These grants will fund a diverse range of projects, from surveys and data analyses to device testing, and encompass several different neuromuscular diseases,…

In 2023, Catalyst Pharmaceuticals will be working to expand the availability of its Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS) treatment Firdapse (amifampridine) to Asian countries. The company will first focus its efforts in Japan, where its partner DyDo Pharma is now conducting a Phase 3 clinical trial…

A case of Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS) was identified in an older man who was initially hospitalized with a wrongful diagnosis of aspiration pneumonia. He was later diagnosed with small cell lung cancer (SCLC), an aggressive form of lung cancer that is often associated with LEMS, but was too…

A decision by the Federal Court of Appeal of Canada is restoring the availability of Ruzurgi (amifampridine) to treat children and adults with Lambert-Eaton Myasthenic Syndrome (LEMS) in that country, Medunik Canada announced. Specifically, the court returned for a second time the notice of compliance, or approval, …

Teva Pharmaceuticals is seeking authorization from federal regulators in the U.S. to produce and sell a generic version of Firdapse (amifampridine), an approved treatment for Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS). Firdapse, marketed by Catalyst Pharmaceuticals, was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2018 as the…