Treatment Goals and First-Line Therapy in PBC

Author(s):

Nancy Reau, MD,John Vierling, MD, FACP, FAASLD, AGAF

Key Takeaways

PBC treatment goals include symptom relief, disease progression prevention, and quality of life improvement, adapting to disease severity.
UDCA, the first-line treatment for PBC, enhances bile flow and reduces liver inflammation, indicated for early-stage patients.
Incomplete biochemical response to UDCA may require therapy modification, with response assessed through liver function tests after six months.

The panel of experts outline the primary treatment goals for patients with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC), detailing how goals adjust based on disease severity, the role of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) as first-line therapy, and the challenges that may require therapy modifications based on biochemical response.

EP: 1.Pathophysiology of PBC

EP: 2.Presentation and Diagnosis of PBC

EP: 3.Differential Diagnosis of PBC

EP: 4.Disease Progression and Extrahepatic Manifestations of PBC

EP: 5.Second-Line Treatments and Management of Symptoms in PBC

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EP: 6.Treatment Goals and First-Line Therapy in PBC

Video content above is prompted by the following:

What are the treatment goals for patients with PBC?
- How do treatment goals change based on the severity of the disease?
UDCA is recommended as the first-line pharmacological treatment for PBC. How does it work to treat the disease?
- For which patients is it indicated?
What are some challenges or limitations you encounter when using UDCA that may prompt a need to modify therapy?
- How do you define biochemical response and when?