Emerging pharmacologic therapies for primary sclerosing cholangitis

Abstract

Purpose of review: The only currently approved treatment for primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is liver transplantation, with a median time to transplant of 12-18 years after diagnosis. There are a number of emerging drugs that have the potential to meet this critically unmet need that will be summarized and discussed herein.

Recent findings: Although the cause of PSC is unknown, there are a number of novel therapeutics under development. These drugs target presumed pathogenic mechanisms largely extrapolated from ex-vivo and in-vivo preclinical models, as well as translational observations.

Summary: Future therapeutic strategies for PSC may include a multitude of complex pathogenic mechanisms encompassing pathways of immunomodulation, the microbiome and inflammation-related fibrosis.