Real-world management of maple syrup urine disease (MSUD) metabolic decompensations with branched chain amino acid-free formulas in France and Germany: A retrospective observational study.

Maple syrup urine disease (MSUD) is a rare inborn metabolic disorder, managed with a strict protein-restricted diet. At any time or age patients may still experience metabolic decompensations, requiring administration of branched chain amino acid (BCAA)-free formula to reduce leucine levels. This retrospective observational study of 126 decompensation episodes from 54 MSUD patients treated at five centers in France and Germany from 2010 to 2016, describes episodes and outcomes for patients stratified into groups who received enteral/oral or intravenous (IV) BCAA-free formula, and by pediatric or adult age categories. IV administration of BCAA-free formula was required in cases of gastric intolerance (33%), refusal to undergo nasogastric tubing (31%), "emergency" (14%) or coma patients (8%), and as prophylaxis before surgery (6%). Overall, mean duration of hospitalization was 6.6 days with oral/enteral BCAA-free formula and 5.4 days with IV formula. Leucine levels at discharge decreased by a mean of 548.5 µmol/L (69.3%) in the oral/enteral group and 657.2 µmol/L (71.3%) in the IV group. In the pediatric subgroup, there were no marked differences between administration groups on any outcome. In the adult subgroup, mean time to episode resolution was 15.8 days in the oral/enteral group and 7.7 days in the IV group (P = .008); mean duration of hospitalization was 6 days in the oral/enteral group and 4.6 days in the IV group (P = NS). Overall, seven serious adverse events in two patients were reported, of which only nausea and vomiting were treatment related.

A New Viscous Cysteamine Eye Drops Treatment for Ophthalmic Cystinosis: An Open-Label Randomized Comparative Phase III Pivotal Study.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of new viscous cysteamine hydrochloride (CH) eye drops (vCH 0.55%) compared with standard CH 0.10% drops treatment. Methods: This was an open-label, phase III, randomized, two-arm multicenter trial conducted at two centers in France. Cystinosis patients ≥2 years old were randomized 1:1 to receive eye drops, four times per day for 90 days in both eyes. We compared the superiority in reducing corneal cystine crystal density as assessed by in vivo confocal microscopy (IVCM). We also evaluated photophobia, corneal cystine crystal scores (CCCSs), and cystine crystal depth measured by optical coherence tomography. Safety objectives were to assess adverse events (AEs), local adverse drug reactions, and ocular safety parameters. Results: We included 15 patients with vCH 0.55% and 16 patients with CH 0.10% drops for 90 days. The mean absolute change in IVCM total score at day 90 in the vCH 0.55% drops group (-4.6 ± 3.1) was significantly greater than and superior to the mean absolute change in the CH 0.10% drops group (-0.46 ± 3.38; P < 0.0001). Photophobia, CCCS, and corneal cystine crystal depth were significantly more improved in the vCH 0.55% drops group than in the CH 0.10% group. The most frequent local adverse drug reactions in both groups were stinging, burning, redness, and blurred vision. Conclusions: vCH 0.55% was effective in reducing corneal cystine crystal density and superior to treatment with CH 0.10% drops, which offer advantages over hospital pharmacy formulations and is a more preferable and convenient treatment option.

Oral Tocofersolan Corrects or Prevents Vitamin E Deficiency in Children With Chronic Cholestasis.

OBJECTIVES: D-Alpha-tocopheryl polyethylene glycol 1000 succinate (Tocofersolan, Vedrop), has been developed in Europe to provide an orally bioavailable source of vitamin E in children with cholestasis. The aim was to analyze the safety/efficacy of Vedrop in a large group of children with chronic cholestasis. METHODS: Two hundred seventy-four children receiving Vedrop for vitamin E deficiency or for its prophylaxis were included from 7 European centers. Median age at treatment onset was 2 months and median follow-up was 11 months. Vedrop was prescribed at a daily dose of 0.34 mL/kg (25 IU/kg) of body weight. Three methods were used to determine a sufficient serum vitamin E status: vitamin E, vitamin E/(total cholesterol), vitamin E/(total cholesterol + triglycerides). RESULTS: Before Vedrop therapy, 51% of children had proven vitamin E deficiency, 30% had normal vitamin E status and 19% had an unknown vitamin E status. During the first months of treatment, vitamin E status was restored in the majority of children with insufficient levels at baseline (89% had a normal status at 6 months). All children with a normal baseline vitamin E status had a normal vitamin E status at 6 months. Among children with an unknown vitamin E status at baseline, 93% had a normal vitamin E status at 6 months. A sufficient vitamin E status was observed in 80% of children with significant cholestasis (serum total bilirubin >34.2 µmol/L). No serious adverse reaction was reported. CONCLUSIONS: Vedrop seems a safe and effective oral formulation of vitamin E that restores and/or maintains sufficient serum vitamin E level in the majority of children with cholestasis, avoiding the need for intramuscular vitamin E injections.

Carglumic acid enhances rapid ammonia detoxification in classical organic acidurias with a favourable risk-benefit profile: a retrospective observational study.

BACKGROUND: Isovaleric aciduria (IVA), propionic aciduria (PA) and methylmalonic aciduria (MMA) are inherited organic acidurias (OAs) in which impaired organic acid metabolism induces hyperammonaemia arising partly from secondary deficiency of N-acetylglutamate (NAG) synthase. Rapid reduction in plasma ammonia is required to prevent neurological complications. This retrospective, multicentre, open-label, uncontrolled, phase IIIb study evaluated the efficacy and safety of carglumic acid, a synthetic structural analogue of NAG, for treating hyperammonaemia during OA decompensation. METHODS: Eligible patients had confirmed OA and hyperammonaemia (plasma NH3 > 60 µmol/L) in ≥1 decompensation episode treated with carglumic acid (dose discretionary, mean (SD) first dose 96.3 (73.8) mg/kg). The primary outcome was change in plasma ammonia from baseline to endpoint (last available ammonia measurement at ≤18 hours after the last carglumic acid administration, or on Day 15) for each episode. Secondary outcomes included clinical response and safety. RESULTS: The efficacy population (received ≥1 dose of study drug and had post-baseline measurements) comprised 41 patients (MMA: 21, PA: 16, IVA: 4) with 48 decompensation episodes (MMA: 25, PA: 19, IVA: 4). Mean baseline plasma ammonia concentration was 468.3 (±365.3) µmol/L in neonates (29 episodes) and 171.3 (±75.7) µmol/L in non-neonates (19 episodes). At endpoint the mean plasma NH3 concentration was 60.7 (±36.5) µmol/L in neonates and 55.2 (±21.8) µmol/L in non-neonates. Median time to normalise ammonaemia was 38.4 hours in neonates vs 28.3 hours in non-neonates and was similar between OA subgroups (MMA: 37.5 hours, PA: 36.0 hours, IVA: 40.5 hours). Median time to ammonia normalisation was 1.5 and 1.6 days in patients receiving and not receiving concomitant scavenger therapy, respectively. Although patients receiving carglumic acid with scavengers had a greater reduction in plasma ammonia, the endpoint ammonia levels were similar with or without scavenger therapy. Clinical symptoms improved with therapy. Twenty-five of 57 patients in the safety population (67 episodes) experienced AEs, most of which were not drug-related. Overall, carglumic acid seems to have a good safety profile for treating hyperammonaemia during OA decompensation. CONCLUSION: Carglumic acid when used with or without ammonia scavengers, is an effective treatment for restoration of normal plasma ammonia concentrations in hyperammonaemic episodes in OA patients.