OCALIVA reduces overall exposure to bile acid in your liver, in 2 targeted ways:
- Limits the amount of bile acids in your liver
- Increases the flow of bile acids out of the liver
OCALIVA® (obeticholic acid) treats primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) differently than ursodiol (also called ursodeoxycholic acid or UDCA).
PBC produces bile acid buildup, which can damage the liver. PBC causes a person’s immune system to attack the bile ducts, creating damage and inflammation, which traps toxic bile acids in the liver.
Ursodiol dilutes the bile acid pool by replacing/displacing toxic concentrations of bile acids.
OCALIVA reduces overall exposure to bile acid in your liver, in 2 targeted ways:
*Farnesoid X (FXR) is a receptor that’s located in your liver. It is also known as the "bile acid receptor."
The effectiveness of OCALIVA is based on a study that showed a reduction in the liver enzyme ALP. There is no clinical information currently available to show if patients treated with OCALIVA live longer or if their symptoms improve. There are ongoing studies to find out how OCALIVA works over a longer period of time.
OCALIVA may still be working to lower your ALP even if you continue to experience fatigue and pruritus symptoms.
Always talk to your healthcare team before making any changes to your PBC treatment.
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OCALIVA is a prescription medicine used to treat primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) in combination with ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) in adults who have not responded well enough to UDCA, or alone for adults who cannot tolerate UDCA. It is not known if taking OCALIVA will improve your chance of survival or improve your symptoms of PBC. It is not known if OCALIVA is safe and effective in children.
OCALIVA may cause serious side effects including:
Worsening of liver problems or liver failure, in some cases leading to liver transplant or death, has happened in people with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) with liver cirrhosis when taking OCALIVA.
Before you start OCALIVA, and during your treatment with OCALIVA, your healthcare provider will do tests to check your liver. These tests will help your healthcare provider decide if it is safe for you to start taking OCALIVA and safe for you to continue taking OCALIVA.
Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have any of the following symptoms of worsening liver problems during treatment with OCALIVA:
Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have any of the following symptoms during treatment with OCALIVA and they are severe or do not go away:
Do not take OCALIVA if you:
OCALIVA may cause serious side effects, including:
The most common side effects of OCALIVA include: tiredness; stomach pain and discomfort; rash; joint pain; mouth and throat pain; dizziness; constipation; swelling in your hands, ankles, or feet; fast or irregular heartbeat; fever; changes in how your thyroid gland works; dryness, irritation, redness, crusting or drainage of the skin (eczema).
These are not all the possible side effects of OCALIVA. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects.
Before taking OCALIVA, tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you:
Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over‑the‑counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. OCALIVA can affect the way certain medicines work. Certain other medicines may affect the way OCALIVA works.
The risk information provided here is not complete. To learn more, please talk to your healthcare provider.
Please click here for Full Prescribing Information and Medication Guide for OCALIVA.
Available by prescription only.
To report negative side effects of OCALIVA, please contact Intercept Pharmaceuticals, Inc. at 1-844-782-ICPT or you may report to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch.
OCALIVA® (obeticholic acid) is a prescription medicine used to treat primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) in combination with ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) in adults who have not responded well enough to UDCA, or alone for adults who cannot tolerate UDCA. It is not known if taking OCALIVA will improve your chance of survival or improve your symptoms of PBC. It is not known if OCALIVA is safe and effective in children.
Worsening of liver problems or liver failure, in some cases leading to liver transplant or death, has happened in people with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) with liver cirrhosis when taking OCALIVA.
*Offer not valid for patients enrolled in Medicare, Medicaid, or other federal or state healthcare programs. See program terms, conditions, and eligibility criteria.