Neuromuscular disorder in which autoantibodies cause a decrease in the presynaptic release of acetylcholine.
Myasthenic syndrome affecting about 3% of patients with small cell lung cancer.
A rare autoimmune disease that causes the debilitating muscle weakness.
Patients generate antibodies against synaptic proteins at the neuromuscular junction, decreasing the release of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine and I’m pairs muscle contraction.
60% of patients have a small cell cancer of the lung.
An autoimmune disorder that damages calcium channels on nerve endings, leading to reduction in acetylcholine release.
Patients have impaired muscle contractions and weakness.
The condition often occurs in patients with cancer, especially small cell lung cancer.
Estimate 800 people in the US have Eaten Lambert syndrome and up to 170 new cases are diagnosed annually.
Amifampridine, marketed as Firdapse, is an oral potassium channel blocker and is approved for treatment of this syndrome.
Amifampridine increases synaptic acetylcholine concentrations by blocking potassium channels on nerve endings.
Common side effects of Amifampridine are paresthesia, upper respiratory tract infection, abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhea, headache, elevated liver enzymes, back pain, hypertension, muscle spasms, or seizures.