Liver/Biliary Disorders News

An FDA advisory committee voted against approval for obeticholic acid in pre-cirrhotic patients with liver fibrosis due to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, citing “concerning” benefit-risk profile.

According to HHS, many of the more than 3.2 million people in the United States with hepatitis B or C are not aware of their infection, raising their risk for severe complications or death and risking further spread of the viruses.

The FDA granted Intercept Pharmaceuticals orphan drug designation for the fixed-dose combination of obeticholic acid and bezafibrate intended for treatment of patients with primary biliary cholangitis.

CHICAGO — Although inaccurate posts about cirrhosis or liver disease were less popular, they still represented a high volume, leaving people with liver disease “susceptible to false claims,” a presenter noted at Digestive Disease Week.

CHICAGO — A diet rich in sweetened candy or drinks, exposure to antibiotics during early childhood and urban living were among risk factors for developing pediatric inflammatory bowel disease, according to data at Digestive Disease Week.

CHICAGO — Hispanic and Black patients with cirrhosis who developed COVID-19 infection had higher rates of mortality, as well as higher hospital charges of more than $340 million in 2020, according to a presenter at Digestive Disease Week.

CHICAGO — Patients readmitted to the hospital within 30 days for decompensated cirrhosis during the COVID-19 pandemic had fewer comorbidities but increased MELD-Na scores, according to data at Digestive Disease Week.

CHICAGO — Researchers reported a 262% increase in liver transplantation for acute-on-chronic liver failure in older patients from 2005 to 2021, with alcohol-related liver disease becoming the leading cause during the COVID-19 pandemic.

CHICAGO — Hospital admissions for alcohol-related cirrhosis jumped from March 2020 to March 2021, with associated increases in costs and mortality, according to study results presented at Digestive Disease Week.

CHICAGO — Patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease had worse COVID-19-related outcomes compared with infected individuals without NAFLD, according to data presented at Digestive Disease Week.