Ursodeoxycholic acid for primary biliary cirrhosis.

Primary biliary cirrhosis is a progressive chronic liver disease estimated to affect up to 1 in 4000 people in the UK. Patients with end-stage disease or an associated poor quality of life commonly need a liver transplant. Traditionally, drugs have offered little help as their benefits are modest and their unwanted effects unacceptable. Recently, the bile acid ursodeoxycholic acid has been used to treat primary biliary cirrhosis. Here we discuss the place of such therapy.