New drug could soothe unbearable itch in rare liver conditions

NCT ID NCT06553768

First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This Phase 3 trial tests whether maralixibat, an oral solution, can safely reduce severe itching (pruritus) in children and adults with rare cholestatic liver diseases. The study enrolls 90 participants aged 6 months and older who have not responded to other treatments. Over 20 weeks, researchers will measure changes in itch severity using a caregiver-reported scale and bile acid levels.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance

maralixibat (oral solution)

What this could lead to

If it works, this could provide a new treatment option for severe itching in rare cholestatic liver diseases where other therapies have failed.

What could go wrong

This is a relatively small Phase 3 trial (90 participants) and the primary outcome is a subjective itch score. The drug may not prove effective or could have side effects not yet seen in earlier studies.

Disclaimer Read more

This is a summary of the original study . Summaries may miss details or leave out important information. Before applying or accepting participation, make sure you have read and understood the full study. Curemydisease.com takes no responsibility whatsoever for anything missed, misunderstood, or acted upon as a result of our summary — we know it does not capture everything.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

biliary atresia Cholangitis, Sclerosing Pruritus

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Azienda Ospedaliera Papa Giovanni XXIII

    Bergamo, 24127, Italy

  • Baylor College of Medicine

    Houston, Texas, 77030, United States

  • Children's Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA)

    Los Angeles, California, 90027, United States

  • Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center

    Cincinnati, Ohio, 45229, United States

  • Hospital Sírio-Libanês

    São Paulo, Brazil

  • Hospital Universitario La Paz

    Madrid, Spain

  • Hospital Universitario Vall d'Hebron

    Barcelona, Spain

  • Hospital da Criança Santo Antonio

    Porto Alegre, Brazil

  • Hospital de Criança de Brasília (HCB)

    Brasília, Brazil

  • Hotel Dieu de France

    Beirut, Lebanon

  • Hôpital Kremlin Bicêtre

    Paris, France

  • Hôpitaux Universitaires de Marseille Timone

    Marseille, 13005, France

  • ISMETT - Istituto Mediterraneo per i Trapianti e Terapie ad Alta Specializzazione

    Palermo, 90127, Italy

  • Instytut Pomnik Centrum Zdrowia Dziecka

    Warsaw, Poland

  • King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

    London, United Kingdom

  • Lurie Children's Hospital

    Chicago, Illinois, 60611, United States

  • Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital - NewYork Presbyterian

    New York, New York, 10032, United States

  • Mount Sinai Hospital

    New York, New York, 10029, United States

  • NYU Langone Health

    New York, New York, 10016, United States

  • Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesu

    Rome, 00165, Italy

  • Stanford Children's Health in Palo Alto

    Palo Alto, California, 94304, United States

  • Stollery Children's Hospital

    Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2B7, Canada

  • University of Utah

    Salt Lake City, Utah, 84112, United States

  • Universitätsklinikum Hamburg Eppendorf - Klinik für Kinder- und Jugendmedizin

    Hamburg, Germany