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Primary biliary cholangitis in 2016

High-definition PBC: biology, models and therapeutic advances

In 2016, obeticholic acid became the first new licensed therapy for primary biliary cholangitis in >20 years. This therapeutic came at a time of improved disease understanding from biliary and immunological mechanistic insights.

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Figure 1: Converging themes in the pathophysiology and treatment of PBC.

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Acknowledgements

G.J.W. and G.M.H. are supported by the NIHR Birmingham Biomedical Research Unit. This report represents independent research partly supported by the NIHR Biomedical Research Unit Funding Scheme. The views expressed in this publication are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the NHS, the NIHR or the Department of Health.

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Correspondence to Gideon M. Hirschfield.

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G.M.H. has been on primary biliary cholangitis advisory boards for GlaxoSmithKline, Intercept Pharmaceuticals and Novartis. G.M.H. has been a study investigator for CymaBay Therapeutics, Dr Falk Pharma, FF Pharma, GlaxoSmithKline, Gilead, Intercept Pharmaceuticals, NGM Bio, Novartis and Shire.

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Webb, G., Hirschfield, G. High-definition PBC: biology, models and therapeutic advances. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 14, 76–78 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrgastro.2016.201

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