The safety and effectiveness of chenodeoxycholic acid treatment in patients with cerebrotendinous xanthomatosis: two retrospective cohort studies

Objective To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA) treatment in patients with cerebrotendinous xanthomatosis (CTX). Methods Two retrospective cohort studies were conducted in CTX patients who underwent CDCA treatment: one in the Netherlands (NL; CDCA-STUK-15-001) and one in Italy (IT; CDCA-STRCH-CR-14-001). Eligible patients were aged 2-75 years, had been diagnosed with CTX, and were treated with CDCA orally for >= 1 year. The impact of CDCA treatment on biochemical markers (including serum cholestanol levels) and disease signs and symptoms were assessed, in addition to the safety and tolerability of CDCA treatment. Results A total of 35 patients were screened in the NL study and were diagnosed with CTX at 25.6 (+/- 13.7 SD) years on average. These patients were treated with CDCA and followed up for a median of 9.00 (range: 0.4-26.3) years. In addition, 28 patients were enrolled in the IT study and were diagnosed at 35.0 (+/- 11.4 SD) years on average (median duration of CDCA treatment: 5.75 [range: 0.0-25.0] years). Signs and symptoms of disease resolved, improved, or remained stable in many patients, with concomitant improvements in biochemical marker levels (serum cholestanol, p < 0.001; 7 alpha-hydroxy-4-cholesten-3-one, p < 0.001 [IT study]). Conclusions The outcomes of these retrospective cohort studies indicate that CDCA is effective in the long-term treatment of CTX, with an acceptable safety profile.