Ursodeoxycholic Acid (UDCA)

Treatment for Gallbladder and biliary diseases

Typical Dosage: 8-10 mg/kg/day, usually 300-600mg BID

Effectiveness
60%
Safety Score
88%
Clinical Trials
8
Participants
50K

Comparative Safety Scale(Higher is safer)

Cyanide☠️
Meth💀
Cigarettes🚬
Chemo☢️
Alcohol🍺
Morphine💊
Antibiotics💉
Tylenol💊
Exercise🏃
Water💧
88
DangerousModerateSafe
Treatment Details
Dosage Range
8-10 mg/kg/day, usually 300-600mg BID
Time to Effect
6-12 months for dissolution
Treatment Duration
6 months - 2 years for dissolution, long-term for prevention
Evidence Quality
HIGH
Number Needed to Treat (NNT)
7(Treat 7 patients to see 1 additional successful outcome)
Number Needed to Harm (NNH)
500(Treat 500 patients to see 1 additional serious adverse event)
Confidence Score
85%confidence in effectiveness data
Health Economics
Annual Cost of Care
Drug Cost:$780
Monitoring:$500
Side Effect Mgmt:$50
Total Annual:$1,330
Cost-Effectiveness Analysis
Cost-Effectiveness Rating
MODERATE
QALYs Gained
0.2
Outcome-Based Costs
Cost per Responder
$2,418
Cost per Remission
$2,418
Comparison vs Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy
Cost Difference
$-13,670/year
Less expensive
QALY Difference
-0.80 QALYs
Worse outcomes
Dominance
No dominance
Prescription Access Economics
Annual Societal Loss per Patient
$950
Cost of prescription-only barriers (visits, time, admin, price premium)
Physician Visit Cost
$300/year
Time Cost
$80/year
Travel + wait time
Insurance Admin Cost
$240/year
Prior auth, claims
Rx Price
$780/year
Potential OTC Price
$300/year
Estimated if OTC available
Early Treatment Benefit
+0.05 QALYs
From faster OTC access
Risk Assessment
Misuse Risk
LOW
Missed Diagnosis Risk
MODERATE
Requires Monitoring
Yes
Needs lab work/checkups
Ursodeoxycholic Acid (UDCA) Outcomes

for Gallbladder and biliary diseases

Efficacy Outcomes
Overall Effectiveness
+60%
Response Rate
+55%
Remission Rate
+55%
Common Side Effects
Diarrhea
+8%
Abdominal pain
+3%
Nausea
+2%
Pruritus (itching)
+1%

Sources:

researchgate.net
falkfoundation.org
nih.gov

WARNING: LIMITED TRIALS AVAILABLE

You can search for trials, but you probably can't join any because the 1% Treaty hasn't passed yet. Most trials are severely limited by lack of funding and bureaucratic barriers. Help change this!

FIX IT
Active Clinical Trials
1 active trial recruiting for Ursodeoxycholic Acid (UDCA) in Gallbladder and biliary diseases

Ursodeoxycolic Acid for the Prevention of Relapsing Complications After Gallstone Acute Pancreatitis

NCT04924868RECRUITINGPHASE3
View Study
332 participants
INTERVENTIONAL
Santiago de Compostela, Spain +17 more
Started: Nov 10, 2021
Completed Clinical Trials
1 completed trial for Ursodeoxycholic Acid (UDCA) in Gallbladder and biliary diseases

UDCA for Symptomatic Gallstone Disease

NCT00161083COMPLETEDPHASE4
View Study
180 participants
INTERVENTIONAL
Utrecht, Netherlands
Started: Nov 1, 2001