Short-Term Efficacy of Bezafibrate for Cholestatic Liver Disease–Related Pruritus

Pruritus is a common complication of cholestatic liver disease such as primary and secondary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC and SSC) and primary biliary cholangitis (PBC). Treatments such as antihistamines and ursodeoxycholic acid have variable success in managing pruritus in these patients. Now results are available from an investigator-initiated, randomized, controlled study of bezafibrate (a broad peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor agonist) for this indication.

Seventy patients with moderate-to-severe pruritis (defined as ≥5 out of 10 on a visual analog scale for intensity) associated with PSC (n=44), PBC (n=24), or SSC (n=2) received bezafibrate 400 mg once daily or placebo for 21 days. The primary endpoint, a ≥50% reduction in prur…