Primary biliary cholangitis is a chronic liver disease where the immune system attacks the bile ducts, causing bile to build up and damage the liver over time. It affects about 1 in 1,000 people, mostly women over 40. Ursodiol has been the standard treatment for decades, and obeticholic acid was approved in 2016 for people who don't respond well enough to ursodiol alone.
What's actually going on in research
Trials are testing several new bile acid drugs that work differently than current treatments, PPAR agonists that target metabolism and inflammation in the liver, and combinations that may work better than single drugs. Researchers are also studying treatments for the severe itching that affects many people with PBC, and looking for ways to prevent progression to cirrhosis.
PPAR agonists
These drugs target receptors that control fat metabolism and inflammation in the liver. Seladelpar and other PPAR agonists have shown promise in reducing alkaline phosphatase levels and improving liver inflammation in trials.
Next-generation bile acid drugs
Several new drugs modify how the liver handles bile acids, aiming to lower toxicity while maintaining digestive function. These include FXR agonists and drugs that block bile acid reabsorption in the intestine.
Itch treatments
Severe itching can be debilitating in PBC and current treatments often don't help enough. Trials are testing drugs that block itch signals in specific ways, including opioid pathway modulators.
What to know before you search
Eligibility typically depends on alkaline phosphatase levels, response to ursodiol, liver biopsy or imaging results, and whether cirrhosis has developed.
What types of trials are currently open
- Treatment trials — Testing new drugs, often PPAR agonists or bile acid modulators, to see if they improve liver enzyme levels and reduce liver damage. Most compare the new drug to placebo, often added to ursodiol.
- Combination trials — Testing whether combining two drugs works better than either alone, particularly for people who don't respond well to ursodiol.
- Itch trials — Testing treatments specifically for cholestatic pruritus, the severe itching caused by bile buildup.
- Biomarker studies — Following people with PBC to understand which blood tests and imaging findings predict disease progression and response to treatment.
Recently added Primary Biliary Cholangitis trials
Receive a biodegradable stent to treat bile duct narrowing
In patients with PSC, endoscopic therapy of strictures aims to improve cholestasis by relieving the biliary obstruction via endoscopic biliary dilatation with consideration of plastic stents in strictures refractory to dilatation due to the risk of pancreatitis and cholangitis . Short term stents have been shown to have similar recurrence-free rates compared to dilatation in a randomised control trial; however, this was terminated after interim analysis due to higher rates of serious adverse events in the stent group. The long term benefits are unclear; however, it may lead to improved survival compared to predicted survival. In this group of patients with limited treatment options, biodegradable stents may provide an attractive additional treatment modality in the management of high grade strictures.
Share your health data to help researchers understand a liver disease
The goal of this registry is to better understand how primary biliary cholangitis develops over time, including the role of disease-related biomarkers, complications of the disease, and symptom burden. Patients with primary biliary cholangitis treated at participating centres in Austria will be invited to take part in this prospective registry. Participation in an associated biobank is optional. Clinical and laboratory data will be collected, and patients will be followed regularly through scheduled clinic visits. In addition, biological samples (serum, plasma, and, if available, liver tissue) may be collected and stored in the biobank for future research.
Find Primary Biliary Cholangitis trials matched specifically to you
Answer 3 quick questions and we'll show you trials that fit your situation.