LEMS Treatment

Goals of LEMS Therapy

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.10,25

In general, the goals for LEMS treatment include3,10,25,29:

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

LEMS Treatment Categories

Neuromuscular Junction Modulation

  • Increase availability of ACh (eg, amifampridine) or inhibit degradation of ACh (eg, pyridostigmine) in the neuromuscular junction29
  • In a double-blind, randomized, controlled trial comparing the efficacy of amifampridine and pyridostigmine in patients with LEMS, only amifampridine consistently produced significant improvements in muscle strength and compound muscle action potential (CMAP) amplitudes30
  • Clinical data suggest that cholinesterase inhibitors, such as pyridostigmine, are generally not effective as monotherapies for LEMS25,30

Immunotherapy

  • Recommended for flares or when symptomatic treatment is not sufficient29
  • In addition, limited clinical data suggest that IVIG therapies may provide a short-term benefit for adult patients with LEMS31

Anticancer Therapy

  • Symptomatic treatment of LEMS is recommended in addition to anticancer therapy for patients with cancer-associated LEMS29
  • In a case study that included 16 patients, treatment with amifampridine was continued in conjunction with antineoplastic therapy32
See clinical data for an FDA-approved treatment for LEMS.
View Data

Next: Special Considerations in LEMS >