COVID-19 Vaccine Information and Updates Read the Latest
Children's Hospital is part of the UPMC family.
Our Sites
Be safe anytime, anywhere.
To find a pediatrician or pediatric specialist, please call 412-692-7337 or search our directory.
A resource for our network of referring physicians.
For more information about research, please call our main office at 412-692-6438.
Ranked #9 Nationally by U.S. News & World Report.
Thank you for your interest in this study. Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (ATD) is a genetic condition that can cause liver disease in children and adults as well as serious lung disease in adults. ATD occurs when there is a lack of protein in the blood called alpha-1 antitrypsin (AT). Produced by the liver, the main function of AT is to protect the lungs from inflammation caused by infection and inhaled irritants.
ATD affects 1 in 2,000 births. The resultant liver scarring is the most common genetic cause for which children undergo liver transplantation, presently the only therapeutic option. However, laboratory work has demonstrated that a drug called carbamazepine may help, and may have the potential to reverse fibrosis. Carbamazepine (also known by the brand name Tegretol) is presently used to treat seizure disorders, and it is well understood by the medical community. This has helped enable Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC to initiate this study, which is supported by the National Institutes of Health and Novartis.
Our study is currently enrolling male and female candidates ages 14 and up who have been diagnosed with liver disease due to ATD. For more complete information about the study and to learn how to enroll your patients, please see this Letter to Physicians (PDF).
Below are links to additional information about ATD to help with patient education and enrollment in this study.
If you wish to refer a patient to the study, please:
You may also post copies of the Alpha-1 Study Informational Flier (PDF) within your practice.
Several published works about this investigation are listed below. Review a complete list of published works about this investigation.
Children's Hospital's main campus is located in the Lawrenceville neighborhood. Our main hospital address is:
UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh One Children’s Hospital Way 4401 Penn Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15224
In addition to the main hospital, Children's has many convenient locations in other neighborhoods throughout the greater Pittsburgh region.
With myCHP, you can request appointments, review test results, and more.
For questions about a hospital bill call:
To pay your bill online, please visit UPMC's online bill payment system.
Interested in giving to Children's Hospital? Support the hospital by making a donation online, joining our Heroes in Healing monthly donor program, or visiting our site to learn about the other ways you can give back.