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In a crafty move, FDA may have found a way to dampen controversy over a $375,000 rare-disease drug

The FDA approved a rare-disease drug from famiily-run Jacobus, following Catalyst's $375,000 version of the drug.

The Food and Drug Administration just added an unexpected twist to a simmering controversy over a rare disease drug that earlier this year briefly became a poster child for high-priced medicines.

In a surprise move, the agency from Jacobus Pharmaceuticals, a small, , for treating a neuromuscular disorder called Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome, or LEMS, for children ages 6 to 17. However, the approval potentially adds unforeseen competition for Catalyst Pharmaceuticals (), which only last December won an FDA endorsement to market its own treatment for adults.

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