Publications by authors named "L Kjems"

Background: Niemann-Pick disease type C (NPC) is a rare, fatal, pan-ethnic, autosomal recessive lysosomal storage disease characterized by progressive major organ failure and neurodegeneration. Preclinical studies confirmed a critical role of systemically administered hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HP-β-CD; Trappsol Cyclo™) in cholesterol metabolism and homeostasis in peripheral tissues of the body, including the liver, and in the central nervous system (CNS). Herein, the pharmacokinetics (PK), safety, and efficacy of HP-β-CD, and biomarkers of NPC were assessed in pediatric and adult patients with NPC1.

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Background & Aims: PEDFIC 2, an ongoing, open-label, 72-week study, evaluates odevixibat, an ileal bile acid transporter inhibitor, in patients with progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis.

Methods: PEDFIC 2 enrolled and dosed 69 patients across two cohorts; all received odevixibat 120 μg/kg per day. Cohort 1 comprised children from PEDFIC 1, and cohort 2 comprised new patients (any age).

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Introduction: Patients with cholestatic liver disease, including progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis (PFIC) and Alagille syndrome, may have debilitating pruritus, and reducing pruritus is a key therapeutic goal. However, few instruments are available that adequately measure pruritus in pediatric patients with cholestatic liver disease. The objectives of the current study were to establish the measurement properties of the novel PRUCISION patient-reported outcome (PRO) and observer-reported outcome (ObsRO) instruments and to estimate a threshold for clinically meaningful change in pruritus score.

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Introduction: Understanding how patients experience their disease is a vital step in optimal disease management, and patient- and observer-reported outcome (PRO and ObsRO, respectively) measures can add important details to clinical information that is obtained as novel treatments are developed. Instruments that measure meaningful symptoms and impacts from the perspective of pediatric patients with cholestatic liver disease or their caregivers are needed. This study aimed to identify salient concepts in pediatric cholestatic liver disease, develop novel PRO and ObsRO instruments, and establish the instruments' content validity.

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Background: Progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis (PFIC) is a group of inherited paediatric liver diseases resulting from mutations in genes that impact bile secretion. We aimed to evaluate the effects of odevixibat, an ileal bile acid transporter inhibitor, versus placebo in children with PFIC.

Methods: Patients eligible for this 24-week, randomised, double-blind, completed, phase 3 study were paediatric outpatients diagnosed with PFIC1 or PFIC2 who had pruritus and elevated serum bile acids at screening.

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