In a crafty move, FDA may have found a way to dampen controversy over a $375,000 rare-disease 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 approved a medicine from Jacobus Pharmaceuticals, a small, family-run company, 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 (CPRX), which only last November won an FDA endorsement to market its own treatment for adults.