1) lead to protein intolerance and massive accumulation of ammonia, with most catastrophic presentations in full-term infants in the first week of life.1 There is wide genotypic and phenotypic heterogeneity such that milder forms of these diseases may present in childhood or in adults manifesting as dietary protein aversion and encephalopathy

that may be misdiagnosed for years. Treatment entails restriction of dietary protein intake and pharmacological selleck chemicals llc activation of alternate pathways of waste nitrogen synthesis and excretion. Despite these therapeutic strategies, there remains significant unmet need, and even in apparently well-controlled patients, there is suboptimal control of ammonia, subclinical neurocognitive dysfunction, and impaired quality of life.2 It is instructive to trace the evolution of therapies for urea cycle disorders (UCDs). It illustrates daring efforts to circumvent formidable hurdles facing investigators attempting to develop therapies for rare orphan diseases that generally exhibit

extreme genotype and phenotype heterogeneity.3 The history is rich with triumphs that have been uniformly propelled by powerful advocacy of individual treating physicians in collaboration with patient support groups. Pioneering efforts by Saul Brusilow and Mark Batshaw at Johns Hopkins spanning more than a quarter selleck screening library of a century have dramatically improved prospects for patients and families affected by UCDs.4 Following on from observations in animal studies of nitrogen metabolism, these investigators developed a scientific rationale for the first-generation alternate pathway therapy in the form of oral Na benzoate

and Na phenylacetate combined with dietary protein restriction. This alone was sufficient to have approval of this regimen; what a far cry from current exacting requirements for demonstrating Dimethyl sulfoxide efficacy for therapies for rare diseases. However, this treatment resulted in incapacitating body odor, prompting Brusilow to conceive of a prodrug in the form of Na Phenylbutyric Acid (NaPBA), which was efficiently cleaved to phenylacetate and, subsequently, to phenyacetylglutamine (Fig. 1). Early studies indicated good bioavailability and it was clearly more tolerable. However, the drug could not be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) because of the lack of any efficacy and safety data, nor was there any federal support to carry out these studies. It was philanthropy and patient advocacy that advanced the field beyond the gridlock. An ad-hoc dispensary was set up at Johns Hopkins to ensure the supply of the drug to families affected by UCDs. Again, without a clinical trial, but based on real-world experience and advocacy of patient groups, the FDA approved the use of NaPBA in 1996.