Is obeticholic acid available in China? When did you enter China?

Obeticholic acid (Obeticholic acid) is a drug used to treat certain types of liver disease. It is mainly used to treat primary biliary cholangitis (PBC), a chronic progressive biliary disease. Primary biliary cholangitis is an autoimmune disease in which the small bile ducts in the liver are gradually destroyed. These ducts carry bile from the liver to the intestines, where it is used to help digest fats. Due to damage to the bile ducts, bile accumulates in the liver, causing damage to liver tissue. This can lead to scarring and liver failure, and may increase the risk of cancer.

The active substance in obeticholic acid is a modified form of bile acid (the main component of bile). It works primarily by attaching to receptors (farnesoid X receptors) that control bile production in the liver and intestines. By attaching to these receptors, obeticholic acid reduces bile production in the liver, preventing bile from building up and damaging liver tissue. Obeticholic acid is used with another drug, ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), in patients who have an inadequate response to UDCA alone, or alone in patients who cannot take UDCA. In addition to the efficacy of the drug, long-term use of obeticholic acid may also bring some potential risks and side effects. For example, some patients may experience adverse reactions such as skin itching and gastrointestinal discomfort.

It is understood that the original drug of obeticholic acid has not yet been approved by the State Food and Drug Administration for marketing in China. The specific launch time is not yet clear, but relevant domestic pharmaceutical companies may be conducting clinical research on obeticholic acid, so domestic patients are not yet able to purchase this drug through hospitals and other related channels. It is believed that obeticholic acid will be launched in the country in the near future.