NICE approves elafibranor for treatment of rare liver disease

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recommended elafibranor 80mg tablets (marketed as IQIRVO) for treating primary biliary
cholangitis (PBC), a rare liver disease.

Developed by Ipsen, IQIRVO is the first medicine for PBC approved for use on the NHS in nearly a decade.

Elafibranor is indicated for use in combination with ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) in adults who have an inadequate response to UDCA, or as monotherapy for those
who cannot tolerate UDCA.

PBC is a lifelong condition that can worsen over time if inadequately treated, potentially leading to liver failure, the need for a liver transplant, or, in rare
instances, premature death.

Approximately 25,000 people in the UK are affected by PBC—90 per cent of whom are women. Early-stage PBC patients often suffer from severe fatigue and a persistent,
debilitating itch known as pruritus.