Phenylbutyrate Therapy for Maple Syrup Urine Disease — MSUD  

Maple Syrup Urine Disease Clinical Trial

Official title: A Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Crossover Trial of Phenylbutyrate in the Treatment of Maple Syrup Urine Disease

Status Completed

Clinical Trial Summary

The investigators have learned in past research that the drug phenylbutyrate can decrease the amounts of branched chain amino acids and their byproducts in the bloodstreams of healthy volunteer patients and also patients with certain disorders of protein breakdown including maple syrup urine disease. Through this study, the investigators will try to find out how well phenylbutyrate (NaPBA), also known by name brand "Buphenyl-TM", decreases BCAA and branched chain keto chain acids in the blood of patients with MSUD. The investigators hope is that through this research the investigators will be better able to treat these patients.

Subjects with MSUD will take phenylbutyrate (NaPBA) in powder form for a two-week treatment period and powder placebo, a substance with no effect on the body, for a two-week treatment period. They will be given the same amount of powder and undergo the same laboratory testing during both of the two-week treatment periods. The results will be compared once the study is over.

Clinical Trial Description

Maple syrup urine disease is a severe inborn error of amino acid metabolism caused by deficiency of the mitochondrial branched-chain alpha-ketoacid dehydrogenase complex (BCKDC) resulting in the accumulation of branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) (isoleucine, leucine, and valine) and their corresponding branched-chain alpha-ketoacids (BCKA) [alpha-keto-beta-methylvalerate (KMV), alpha-ketoisocaproate (KIC), and alpha-ketoisovalerate(KIV)] in tissues and plasma. The disorder typically manifests with potentially lethal episodes of intoxication presenting with acute neurological deterioration, feeding problems, weight loss, and a maple syrup odor to the urine. Current treatment is based on dietary manipulations with protein restriction and a synthetic formula with reduced BCAA content. However, mental and social impairment are still present in the majority of these patients in spite of dietary management.

Our study seeks to investigate the potential small molecule inhibition of the kinase that regulates BCKDC by applying a novel activity of sodium phenylbutyrate (NaPBA), in MSUD. Sodium phenylbutyrate is has been used to treat patients with urea cycle disorders (UCDs). In our extensive studies with UCDs, we noted that patients on therapy with NaPBA had decreased plasma levels of BCAA. This led us to hypothesize that NaPBA has effects on BCAA metabolism.

This will be a single-site, randomized, active-controlled, double-blind, cross-over study designed to enroll subjects with MSUD. Subjects will be randomly assigned to receive either sodium phenylbutyrate (PB) or placebo for 2 weeks, and then crossed over to receive the other treatment for 2 weeks.

If study findings show sodium phenylbutyrate lowers BCAA and BCKA levels in these patients, it may prove to be an effective adjunct treatment for these patients. A treatment option that could prevent or decrease the accumulation of BCAA and BCKA during states of catabolism induced by fasting or intercurrent illnesses, and thereby minimize or prevent the neurologic sequelae and loss of human potential that result, would greatly benefit society. ;

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Maple Syrup Urine Disease

• NCT number: NCT01529060
• Study type: Interventional
• Source: Baylor College of Medicine
• Status: Completed
• Phase: Phase 2/Phase 3
• Start date: February 2013
• Completion date: December 2017