Intrathecal cyclodextrin in the treatment of Niemann-Pick disease type C.

CASE: A child with Niemann-Pick disease type C was started on miglustat therapy at the age of 2 years. Intrathecal administration of hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin was added 5 months later. The initial dose of 175 mg was gradually increased over the first 6 months to reach 325 mg. The drug was administered every 15 days, and the patient received 43 doses. A slight delay in progression of the disease was seen during the first year of intrathecal hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin. However, additional symptoms have emerged since that time, suggesting a lack of effectiveness of the drug. Our patient has shown no drug-related adverse events.
CONCLUSIONS: Intrathecal hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin therapy is safe, but its efficacy seems questionable in a patient with the severe infantile form of Niemann-Pick disease type C.