-2%
Livadox is prescribed for adult patients with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) who:
- Do not have cirrhosis, or
- Have compensated cirrhosis without signs of portal hypertension.
It can be used:
- In combination with ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) for patients with an inadequate response to UDCA, or
- As a standalone treatment for patients unable to tolerate UDCA.
Note: Use only as advised by a registered physician.
Obeticholic acid, the active ingredient in Livadox, works as an agonist of the Farnesoid X Receptor (FXR), a nuclear receptor found in the liver and intestines. FXR regulates bile acid levels, inflammation, fibrosis, and metabolic pathways. Activation of FXR lowers bile acid levels in liver cells by reducing production and promoting bile acid excretion, thereby minimizing liver exposure to bile acids.
- In clinical trials, daily administration of 10 mg of obeticholic acid resulted in a 173% increase in FGF-19, an enterokine involved in bile acid balance, by the 12th month. Levels of cholic acid and chenodeoxycholic acid decreased by 2.7 µM and 1.4 µM, respectively.
- Obeticholic acid does not significantly prolong QT intervals, even at doses 10 times higher than the recommended maximum dose.