CORAL GABLES, Fla., Oct. 31, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Catalyst Pharmaceutical Partners, Inc. (Nasdaq:CPRX) and BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. (Nasdaq:BMRN) today announced that they have entered into a strategic collaboration for the rights to Firdapse™ in North America. Firdapse™ is an orphan product, which has been approved in the European Union (EU) and is undergoing a Phase III clinical trial in the United States, for the treatment of Lambert-Eaton Myasthenic Syndrome (LEMS), a rare, debilitating and sometimes fatal autoimmune disease with the primary symptoms of muscle weakness. The key components of the collaboration include Catalyst licensing the exclusive North American rights to Firdapse™ and BioMarin making a $5 million investment in Catalyst to rapidly advance the Firdapse™ program in the United States.
