This educational program, hosted by Patrick McKiernan, MD, Pediatric Hepatologist at Birmingham Children's Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and Nadia Ovchinsky, MD, Professor of Medicine at NYU Grossman School of Medicine discuss the recently published guidance on best practices to diagnose, treat, and monitor patients with PFIC. It also explains why the new guidance recommends the early use of IBAT inhibitors in patients suspected of having progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis (PFIC).

PFIC encompasses a spectrum of autosomal recessive disorders characterized by impaired bile flow (cholestasis) due to defects in biliary epithelial transporters. These rare genetic conditions typically manifest in infancy or early childhood, leading to severe liver dysfunction and potentially life-threatening complications if left untreated. Common early symptoms observed in children with PFIC are jaundice, pruritus, elevated serum bile acid (SBA) values, malabsorption, and failure to thrive. PFIC can be a debilitating condition that significantly impacts the quality of life and can result in end-stage liver disease. As such, early detection and effective intervention are imperative for the prevention of disease progression. 

Unfortunately, there are no relevant guidelines based on newly published research to help healthcare providers manage patients with PFIC. However, a recent opinion paper by leading experts in the management of PFIC provides evidence-based guidance on this subject and was recently published in JHEP Reports. 

This educational program is made possible by an unrestricted grant from Ipsen.