Rat partial bile duct ligation (pBDL) cholestasis model: reduced serum bile acids, liver enzymes and bilirubin
“In the rat partial bile duct ligation (pBDL) model of cholestasis, maralixibat alone at oral doses of 0.3, 1, and 10 mg/kg/day or the combination of maralixibat (1 mg/kg/day) and UDCA (1 mg/kg/day) reduced serum bile acids (sBA), ALP, AST, ALT, GGT, and total bilirubin after 14 days of treatment.”
No animal model of Alagille syndrome; induced cholestasis (pBDL) used to simulate reduced bile flow
“ALGS is a cholestatic liver disease for which no animal model has been established. Therefore, the Applicant evaluated the potential effectiveness of maralixibat in a rat cholestasis model that involved partial bile duct ligation (pBDL), to simulate the reduced bile flow in Patients with ALGS and other cholestatic liver diseases.”
EMA: in vivo data (naive and pBDL rats, dogs, monkeys) consistent with inhibition of bile acid reuptake
“The pharmacodynamic effects of maralixibat in vivo were investigated in naïve rats, partial bile duct ligated (pBDL) rats as a cholestasis model, dogs and monkeys and in vivo primary pharmacology data are in line with the ability of orally administered maralixibat to inhibit the re-uptake of bile acids and to increase the faecal excretion thereof.”