Odevixibat after liver transplant in patients with progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis type 1: A case...

Patients with progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis type 1 (PFIC1) who have undergone liver transplantation (LT) may have unmet needs and impacts on daily life due to post-LT complications, including diarrhea and hepatic steatosis. Here, we describe the effects of the ileal bile acid transporter inhibitor odevixibat on diarrhea and hepatic steatosis in a cohort of patients with PFIC1 post-LT.

Treating physicians from six centers retrospectively collected data through July 2023 on patients with PFIC1 who received odevixibat post-LT. Data collected included demographics, medical history, and symptom presentation, characteristics of diarrhea, and liver imaging and/or histopathology.

Overall, nine male patients with PFIC1 (seven aged <18 years at initial completion of the case report form) were included. In most patients, the primary indication for odevixibat treatment was diarrhea and/or steatosis post-LT. Odevixibat was initiated at a daily dose of 30-120 µg/kg (median exposure: 13 months). All patients had post-LT diarrhea, which was generally associated with negative impacts on daily life (e.g., ability to attend school, needing to wear diapers due to fecal urgency). After odevixibat initiation, most patients had improved diarrhea and positive impacts on daily life. Among five patients with post-LT steatosis and data available before and after odevixibat initiation, steatosis appeared to improve in three and did not change in two.

Overall, the majority of patients with PFIC1 post-LT complications in this case series experienced improvements in diarrhea and daily activities with odevixibat. Treatment with odevixibat following LT also appeared to reduce steatosis in some patients. Further studies, particularly those with a prospective design, are needed to confirm these findings.