Tolerability of Enteral NAC in Infants

Biliary atresia (BA) is a neonatal liver disease characterized by impaired bile flow and is the most common indication for pediatric liver transplantation. BA can be treated with the Kasai portoenterostomy (KP), a procedure that attempts to restore bile flow and slow disease progression. However, success of the KP procedure is quite variable, and lack of adjuvant medical therapies following KP is a major gap in pediatric hepatology.

This study begins to explore oral N-acetylcysteine (NAC) as a potential medical therapy in BA by determining whether an oral formulation can be given to infants. The primary objective is to determine tolerability of the oral NAC formulation. The primary outcome is tolerating at least 3 out of 4 total doses without emesis. The Bayesian Optimal Interval Design (BOIN) trial design will be used to determine the maximum tolerated dose of oral NAC. Our secondary objective is to assess palatability of the oral NAC formulation by comparing facial expressions when taking oral NAC versus other medications commonly given to cholestatic infants.