Understanding Pruritus in Primary Biliary Cholangitis

While the primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) treatment landscape has long been limited to just a handful of agents with limited efficacy, 2024 saw a major shift in PBC management with the addition of 2 new second-line therapies.

Seladelpar (Livdelzi), a proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) delta agonist, was one of these recent additions to the PBC treatment armamentarium and was a major topic of discussion at The Liver Meeting 2024 from the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) in San Diego, California.

Along with a late-breaking presentation highlighting seladelpar’s sustained efficacy and long-term safety in a 2.5-year interim analysis of the ongoing open-label phase 3 ASSURE study, another abstract presentation focused on the agent’s impact on pruritus in the RESPONSE trial.

In this segment, which is part 1 of a 4-part series, Andreas Kremer, MD, PhD, MHBA, head of hepatology at University Hospital Zurich, explains the burden of pruritus in PBC and its negative impact on affected patients’ quality of life.

Kremer highlights the widespread prevalence of pruritus in PBC, affecting anywhere between 30% and 80% of patients depending on the source. Beyond its severity measured on the numeric rating scale, Kremer describes how pruritus profoundly impacts quality of life, disrupts sleep, induces fatigue and depression, and impairs daily functioning and work capacity.

He goes on to describe the psychological challenges it poses, particularly in social and professional settings, where visible discomfort can exacerbate emotional strain. Ultimately, the multifaceted toll pruritus takes on patients underscores the critical need for effective management strategies.

Editors’ note: Kremer has relevant disclosures with AbbVie, AstraZeneca, Bayer, CymaBay, Gilead, GlaxoSmithKline, Intercept, Mirum, Takeda, Ipsen, and others.

References

1. Brooks A. FDA Grants Accelerated Approval to Seladelpar (Livdelzi) for Primary Biliary Cholangitis. HCPLive. August 14, 2024. Accessed December 6, 2024. https://www.hcplive.com/view/fda-grants-accelerated-approval-to-seladelpar-livdelzi-for-primary-biliary-cholangitis
2. Brooks A. Seladelpar (Livdelzi) Demonstrates Long-Term Benefit for Primary Biliary Cholangitis. HCPLive. November 15, 2024. Accessed December 6, 2024. https://www.hcplive.com/view/seladelpar-livdelzi-demonstrates-long-term-benefit-primary-biliary-cholangitis