News

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…

An elderly man in Japan is reported to have developed Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS) as a likely side effect of being treated with Tecentriq (atezolizumab) for a type of cancer called small cell lung cancer (SCLC). The report, “Atezolizumab-Induced Lambert-Eaton Myasthenic Syndrome in a Patient With Small-Cell Lung…

Little evidence was found for a causal relationship between the use of an immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) for the treatment of cancer and the onset of Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS) or myasthenia gravis (MG), according to a new review study. Still, because most included data came from case…

While unhappy with shortcomings in the legislation, the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) nonetheless is applauding a year-end U.S. spending package that included several programs and reforms crucial to those with rare diseases, including Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS). As part of an expansive $1.7 trillion package, signed…

Among those with Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS) and other forms of paraneoplastic neurological syndrome, younger patients often experience a longer delay between symptom onset and seeking medical attention — a delay that can result in worse clinical outcomes, a new study indicates. “Patients aged [65 years or younger]…