Alagille Syndrome clinical trials at University of California Health

This study is designed to assess whether the investigational drug maralixibat, is safe and well tolerated in children <12 months of age with Alagille Syndrome [ALGS] or Progressive Familial Intrahepatic Cholestasis [PFIC].

The purpose of this study is to assess the long-term safety and effectiveness of odevixibat in participants with Alagille syndrome (ALGS). The participants of this study will have ALGS a rare genetic disorder that can affect multiple organ systems of the body including the liver, heart, skeleton, eyes and kidneys. Common symptoms, which often develop during the first three months of life, include blockage of the flow of bile from the liver (cholestasis), yellowing of the skin and mucous membranes (jaundice), poor weight gain and growth and severe itching (pruritis). The drug used for the study is odevixibat and was authorized for the treatment of cholestatic pruritus in infants with ALGS over 12 months of age by the United States Food and Drug Administration on 13 June 2023.

Noninvasive monitoring of liver fibrosis is an unmet need within the clinical management of pediatric chronic liver disease. While liver biopsy is often used in the initial diagnostic evaluation, subsequent biopsies are rarely performed because of inherent invasiveness and risks. This study will evaluate the role of non-invasive FibroScan™ technology to detect and quantify liver fibrosis.

Cholestasis is a condition in which bile is not properly transported from the liver to the small intestine. Cholestasis can be caused by an array of childhood diseases, including the genetic diseases Alagille syndrome (ALGS), alpha-1 antitrypsin (a-1AT) deficiency, bile acid synthesis and metabolism defects, and progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis (PFIC) or benign recurrent intrahepatic cholestasis(BRIC). This study will investigate the natural history and progression of the four previously mentioned cholestatic liver diseases to provide a better understanding of the causes and effects of the diseases.