LEMS TREATMENT

GOALS OF LEMS
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There is currently no cure for Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS); however, there are treatments available that can significantly reduce the impact of LEMS on patients’ lives.12,25

In general, the goals for LEMS treatment include3,12,25,29:

  • Relief of autonomic symptoms
  • Restoration/maintenance of muscle function and strength
  • Improved patient mobility and independence
  • Improved quality of life
  • Assessing for/treating associated malignancies

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Antitumor Therapy

  • Essential for all patients with paraneoplastic LEMS29
  • Limited data suggest some patients may experience improvement in LEMS symptoms following antitumor therapy30,31

Immunotherapy

  • Recommended for flares or when symptomatic treatment is not sufficient29
  • Limited clinical data suggest that oral and infusion immunosuppressive therapies can provide short-term benefit for adult patients with LEMS32

Neuromuscular Junction Modulation

  • Increase neuromuscular transmission of acetylcholine (ACh) (amifampridine) or inhibit degradation of ACh (pyridostigmine)29
  • Clinical data suggest that cholinesterase inhibitors, such as pyridostigmine, are generally not effective as monotherapies for LEMS25,33
  • In a double-blind, randomized controlled trial comparing the efficacy of 3,4-DAP and pyridostigmine in LEMS, only 3,4-DAP produced significant improvements in muscle strength and compound muscle action potential (CMAP) amplitudes33
  • 3,4-DAP is currently recommended as first-line therapy for LEMS34

Infographic

See clinical data for an FDA-approved treatment for LEMS.

Infographic

VIEW DATA

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