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Updated: May 9, 2026

Partial Bile Duct Ligation in the Mouse: A Controlled Model of Localized Obstructive Cholestasis
Published on: March 28, 2018
New therapies for primary biliary cholangitis
Aalam Sohal1,2, Mariam Alamgir1,3, Kris V Kowdley4,5
1Liver Institute Northwest, 3216 NE 45th Pl Suite 100, Seattle, WA, 98105, USA.
Background:
Primary Biliary Cholangitis (PBC) is a cholestatic autoimmune liver disease of small bile ducts. Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) was approved as a first line therapeutic option for PBC in 1997. It was later noted that 40% of patients with PBC are either non-responders or intolerant to UDCA. In 2016, obeticholic acid (OCA) was approved as a second-line therapy for PBC. However, due to the side effects associated with OCA and the FDA restricting its use in patients with cirrhosis, there was a need for additional therapies.
Aims:
This review summarizes the current literature regarding the new and emerging therapies for patients with PBC.
Key Findings:
In 2024, two new therapies, elafibranor and seladelpar were approved as a second-line treatment for PBC. In 2025 OCA was withdrawn from the market. Multiple additional therapies targeting biochemical remission are under investigation. Furthermore, a new class of medication, ileal bile acid transporter inhibitors (IBAT inhibitors), is being studied for pruritus among these patients.
Conclusion:
The therapeutic landscape for PBC has been rapidly evolving with the discovery of second-line agents. Ongoing trials studying biochemical response, symptom control and long-term clinical outcomes among patients with PBC will be beneficial.
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