Maralixibat for the treatment of severe xanthomas in two children with Alagille syndrome: Case reports

Alagille syndrome (ALGS) is a rare, autosomal dominant disorder which presents with a broad range of clinical manifestations, including cholestatic pruritus. A unique manifestation of ALGS is the presence of xanthomas in 24%-42% of patients, which can lead to liver transplantation. Maralixibat, an ileal bile acid transporter (IBAT) inhibitor, has demonstrated improvements in both cholestatic pruritus and xanthomas in clinical trials. We report here on the use of maralixibat in two patients with ALGS and unusual manifestations of xanthomatosis, including one patient with airway xanthomas and a second patient with severe, diffuse xanthomas. In both cases, almost complete resolution of severe, debilitating xanthomas and clinically meaningful improvements in pruritus and serum bile acid levels were observed after up to 1 year of treatment with maralixibat. These cases support the utilization of maralixibat for the management of ALGS beyond cholestatic pruritus.