Healio Primary Biliary Cholangitis: Comprehensive Approaches to Diagnosis, Treatment, and Management
Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) causes chronic inflammation and progressive destruction of the bile ducts, resulting in cholestatic pruritus—a severe internal itch that scratching cannot relieve. Patients with PBC experience substantial impacts to their quality of life and face significant disparities in care across demographic, geographic, and socioeconomic factors. Adoption of standardized assessments and monitoring procedures can lead to earlier, more accurate diagnoses and personalized treatment plans across this patient population. Standard first-line treatment for this condition is ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) and, as of summer 2024, 2 novel peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) agonists have been approved for use in patients with inadequate response to UDCA.
These currently available treatments have demonstrated efficacy in improving liver function tests and reducing fibrosis progression, but do not target symptom management. Clinical investigations into novel therapies for managing PBC include additional PPAR agonists and fibroblast growth factor analogues, which have shown promise in improving liver function and reducing inflammation, as well as an ileal bile acid transport inhibitor, which has demonstrated efficacy in relieving cholestatic pruritus. In this CE activity, experts in the field detail the patient burden associated with PBC and the disparities in its care; evaluate processes and procedures that improve the assessment of patients with PBC; and distinguish current and emerging therapies for PBC symptom management regarding their targets and mechanisms of action.
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Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) causes chronic inflammation and progressive destruction of the bile ducts, resulting in cholestatic pruritus—a severe internal itch that scratching cannot relieve. Patients with PBC experience substantial impacts to their quality of life and face significant disparities in care across demographic, geographic, and socioeconomic factors. Adoption of standardized assessments and monitoring procedures can lead to earlier, more accurate diagnoses and personalized treatment plans across this patient population. Standard first-line treatment for this condition is ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) and, as of summer 2024, 2 novel peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) agonists have been approved for use in patients with inadequate response to UDCA.
These currently available treatments have demonstrated efficacy in improving liver function tests and reducing fibrosis progression, but do not target symptom management. Clinical investigations into novel therapies for managing PBC include additional PPAR agonists and fibroblast growth factor analogues, which have shown promise in improving liver function and reducing inflammation, as well as an ileal bile acid transport inhibitor, which has demonstrated efficacy in relieving cholestatic pruritus. In this CE activity, experts in the field detail the patient burden associated with PBC and the disparities in its care; evaluate processes and procedures that improve the assessment of patients with PBC; and distinguish current and emerging therapies for PBC symptom management regarding their targets and mechanisms of action.
Topics Covered
Primary Biliary Cholangitis
Learning Objectives
Upon successful completion of this activity, participants should be better able to:
- Recognize the burden associated with PBC as well as disparities in care.
- Identify processes and procedures that improve the assessment of patients with PBC.
- Differentiate current and emerging therapies for their ability to manage the symptoms of PBC.
Target Audience
The intended audience for this activity is hepatologists and gastroenterologists involved in the management of patients with PBC.
Additional credit info
Accreditation
In support of improving patient care, Vindico Medical Education is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
Credit Designation
Vindico Medical Education designates this enduring material for a maximum of 1.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.