Abstract

The main treatments for patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) are currently based on lifestyle changes, including ponderal decrease and dietary management. However, a subgroup of patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), who are unable to modify their lifestyle successfully, may benefit from pharmaceutical support. Several drugs targeting pathogenic mechanisms of NAFLD have been evaluated in clinical trials for the treatment of NASH. Farnesoid X receptor (FXR) is a nuclear key regulator controlling several processes of the hepatic metabolism. NAFLD has been proven to be associated with abnormal FXR activity. Obeticholic acid (OCA) is a first-in-class selective FXR agonist with anticholestatic and hepato-protective properties. Currently, OCA is registered for the treatment of primary biliary cholangitis. However, promising effects of OCA on NASH and its metabolic features have been reported in several studies.

Details

Title
Obeticholic Acid: A New Era in the Treatment of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
Author
Abenavoli, Ludovico 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Falalyeyeva, Tetyana 2 ; Boccuto, Luigi 3 ; Tsyryuk, Olena 2 ; Kobyliak, Nazarii 4   VIAFID ORCID Logo 

1  Department of Health Sciences, University “Magna Graecia”, Viale Europa-Germaneto, 8810 Catanzaro, Italy 
2  School of Medicine, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Volodymyrska Street 64/13, 01601 Kiev, Ukraine 
3  Greenwood Genetic Center, Greenwood, SC 29646, USA; School of Health Research, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29646, USA 
4  Department of Endocrinology, Bogomolets National Medical University, Pushkinska 22a, 01610 Kiev, Ukraine 
First page
104
Publication year
2018
Publication date
2018
Publisher
MDPI AG
e-ISSN
14248247
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/ph11040104
ProQuest document ID
2582821846
Copyright
© 2018 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.