Tests elafibranor in adults with primary biliary cholangitis over the long term
Tests elafibranor against placebo in adults with liver scarring from primary biliary cholangitis.
Key facts
- Who runs it
- Ipsen
- Where
- Edegem, Genk, Gent, and Roeselare, BelgiumSee the 4 sitesAlso in 27 other countries, 187 sites
- Trial code
- Registry title
- A Long-Term Study of Elafibranor in Adult Participants With Primary Biliary Cholangitis
- Status
- Recruiting
- Phase
- Phase 3
- People taking part
- 276 people, planned
- Started
- 31 Aug 2023
- Expected to end
- 31 May 2029
- Type of study
- Interventional, 2 groupsOne group gets a placebo (a dummy treatment), for comparison.
- Treatments tested
- Elafibranor
- Matched 80 mg placebo
- Record updated
- 23 October 2026
Who can take part
AI summary
From the trial's eligibility criteria. Machine-read from the registry text on this page, so it can be wrong. The registry text below and the trial team decide who can take part.
The trial is looking for adults with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) who also have cirrhosis, scarring of the liver. It compares elafibranor with a dummy treatment (placebo).
- Age
- 18 years or older
- Sex
- Men and women can join.
- Disease stage
- Definite or probable PBC with cirrhosis, at Child Pugh A or Child Pugh B.
- Earlier treatment
- Several medicines must not have been taken in the 3 months before the start, such as fibrates, seladelpar, glitazones, obeticholic acid, azathioprine, cyclosporine, methotrexate, mycophenolate, pentoxifylline, budesonide and some other corticosteroids. People in another drug or device study within 30 days or 5 half-lives cannot join.
Main reasons for not taking part
- Other liver diseases, such as primary sclerosing cholangitis, autoimmune hepatitis, hepatitis B or C, alcohol-associated liver disease or NASH
- Serious liver complications, such as uncontrolled ascites, variceal bleeding or hepatic encephalopathy Grade 2 or higher
- History of liver transplant, or currently on a liver transplant list
- Known HIV infection, known cancer or cancer in the last 5 years, or history of liver cancer
- Pregnancy, breastfeeding, or alcohol or substance abuse within 1 year
The registry criteria, word for word
Show all 32 criteriaShow less
Who can take part
- Male or female participants must be ≥18 years of age at the time of signing the informed consent
- Participants with a definite or probable diagnosis of primary biliary cholangitis (PBC)
- Participants with cirrhosis at SV1. • Participants must be Child Pugh A or Child Pugh B
- Contraceptive use by men or women should be consistent with local regulations regarding the methods of contraception for those participating in clinical studies
- Capable of giving signed informed consent which includes compliance with the requirements and restrictions listed in the informed consent form (ICF) and in this protocol
Who cannot take part
- History or presence of other concomitant liver disease including but not limited to:; i) Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC); ii) Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) by simplified Diagnostic Criteria of the International Autoimmune Hepatitis Group (IAIHG) ≥6, or if treated for an overlap of PBC with AIH, or if there is clinical suspicion and evidence of overlap AIH features, that cannot be explained alone by insufficient response to UDCA; iii) Positive hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). Participants with negative HBsAg and positive hepatitis B core antibody (HBcAb) may be eligible if hepatitis B virus deoxyribonucleic acid (HBV DNA) is negative; iv) Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection defined by positive anti-HCV antibody and positive HCV ribonucleic acid (RNA) (Note: Participants with positive anti-HCV antibody due to previously treated HCV infection, may be enrolled if a confirmatory HCV RNA is undetectable and sustained viral response has been documented); v) Alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD); vi) Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH); vii) Other chronic liver diseases, such as alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency
- History or presence of clinically significant hepatic decompensation, including:; i) History of liver transplantation, current placement on a liver transplant list, current model for end-stage liver disease including (MELD) 3.0 score >12 due to hepatic impairment; ii) Evidence of complications of cirrhosis, including hepatic decompensation or evidence of significant portal hypertension complications including presence of uncontrolled ascites; history of variceal bleeding or related interventions (e.g. variceal banding, or transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt placement); presence of hepatic encephalopathy Grade 2 or higher per West-Haven criteria; history or presence of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis. Note: participants with low-risk varices (Grade I) without history of bleeding or other treatment may be eligible to enrol; iii) Hepatorenal syndrome (HRS) (type I or II ). • vi) Hospitalisation for liver-related complication within 12 weeks prior to SV1
- Participants who are currently participating in, plan to participate in, or have participated in an investigational drug study or medical device study containing active substance within 30 days or 5 half-lives, whichever is longer, prior to the screening period; If the previous study was for an experimental therapy being studied for potential benefit in PBC, and the potential therapeutic agent was proven to have no beneficial effect in PBC and there are no safety concerns, the participant may enrol after 30 days or 5 half-lives from the last dose of the therapeutic agent, whichever is longer.ii) For therapeutic agents being studied for potential benefit in PBC for which it is still unclear if there may be a potential benefit, participants may enrol after 6 months from the last dose of the therapeutic agent
- History of alcohol abuse, or other substance abuse within 1 year prior to SV1
- Known hypersensitivity to elafibranor or to any of the excipients of the investigational product(s)
- Known history of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection or having a positive confirmatory test for HIV type 1 or 2
- Medical conditions that may cause non-hepatic increases in ALP (e.g. Paget's disease)
- Evidence of any other unstable or untreated clinically significant immunological, endocrine, hematologic, gastrointestinal, neurological, or psychiatric disease as evaluated by the investigator; other clinically significant conditions that are not well controlled
- History of hepatocellular carcinoma
- Known malignancy or history of malignancy within the last 5 years. Participants with non-melanoma skin cancer, or carcinoma in situ (e.g. breast carcinoma, cervical cancer in situ) that have undergone potentially curative therapy are not excluded
- Significant renal disease, including nephritic syndrome, chronic kidney disease (CKD) (defined as participants with evidence of significantly impaired kidney function or underlying kidney injury)
- Any other condition that, in the opinion of the investigator, would interfere with study participation or completion, or would put the participant at risk, including a potential participant assessed as being at high risk of noncompliance with the study
- Administration of the following medications is prohibited during the study, and prior to the study as per the timelines specified below: • i) 3 months prior to baseline: fibrates, seladelpar, glitazones, obeticholic acid, azathioprine, cyclosporine, methotrexate, mycophenolate, pentoxifylline, budesonide and other systemic corticosteroids (parenteral and oral chronic administration only); potentially hepatotoxic drugs (including α-methyl-dopa, sodium valproic acid, isoniazid or nitrofurantoin)
- Electrocardiogram (ECG) with QT interval corrected by Fridericia's formula (QTcF) >450 msec in males or QTcF >470 msec in females for participants without bundle branch block. For participants with bundle branch block or other intraventricular conduction delay, a longer QTcF >480 msec would be exclusionary
- Total bilirubin (TB) >5x ULN
- Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and/or aspartate aminotransferase (AST) >5x ULN at SV1
- Creatinine phosphokinase (CPK) >2x ULN
- Platelet count <50,000/μL
- International normalised ratio (INR) >1.8 in the absence of anticoagulant therapy
- Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) <45 mL/min/1.73m2 per the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD)-6 Study formula at SV1
- For female participants: known current pregnancy, or has a positive serum pregnancy test, or is breastfeeding
- Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) ≥10x ULN
- Albumin <2.8 g/dL due to impaired hepatic function
- Non-hepatic medical conditions that may diminish life expectancy to <2 years, including known cancers
- Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) >20 ng/mL with 4-phase liver computerised tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) imaging suggesting presence of hepatocellular carcinoma
- Participants unwilling or unable to be abstinent from alcohol during the study
- Mental instability or incompetence, such that the validity of informed consent or ability to be compliant with the study is uncertain
Where in Belgium
Also in 27 other countries, 187 sites
- Antwerp University HospitalEdegem, BelgiumTaking people
- Ziekenhuis Oost-LimburgGenk, BelgiumTaking people
- Universitair Ziekenhuis GentGent, BelgiumTaking people
- Algemeen Ziekenhuis DeltaRoeselare, BelgiumTaking people
About the trial
What the trial wants to find out
The participants of this study will have confirmed Primary Biliary Cholangitis (PBC) and cirrhosis (scarring of the liver).
Read full original descriptionShow less
PBC is a slowly progressive disease, characterised by damage to the bile ducts in the liver, leading to a build-up of bile acids which causes further damage.
The liver damage in PBC may lead to cirrhosis. PBC may also be associated with multiple symptoms. Many patients with PBC may require liver transplant or may die if the disease progresses and a liver transplant is not done.
This study will compare a daily dose of elafibranor (the study drug) to a daily dose of placebo (a dummy treatment) and will last up to 3.5 years for each participant.
The main aim of this study is to determine if elafibranor is better than placebo in preventing clinical outcome events showing disease worsening (including progression of disease leading to liver transplant or death).
This study will also study the safety of long-term treatment with elafibranor, as well as the impact on symptoms such as itching and tiredness.
The 2 groups in the trial
- Elafibranor 80 mgTreatment being tested
Participants will take 1 tablet of elafibranor 80 mg per day orally with a glass of water at approximately the same time each morning, with or without food.
Treatment: Elafibranor
- PlaceboPlacebo, for comparison
Participants will take 1 placebo tablet per day orally (matching the 80 mg elafibranor sized tablet) with a glass of water at approximately the same time each morning, with or without food.
Treatment: Matched 80 mg placebo
Questions to ask the study team
- How often do I need to come in, and for how long each time?
- Are travel costs paid?
- Can I keep my own doctor?
- What happens if I want to stop?
Contact the study team: see the registry record → Contacts and Locations
Print a page for my doctorData and sources
- Registry record
- Listed on ClinicalTrials.gov and on the EU's official list of trials (CTIS).
- Official title
- A Phase III Randomised, Parallel-Group, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Two-Arm Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of Elafibranor 80 mg on Long-Term Clinical Outcomes in Adult Participants With Primary Biliary Cholangitis (PBC)
- Plain-language title
- Tests elafibranor in adults with primary biliary cholangitis over the long termGenerated from the registry record. The registry title is the official one.
- AI summary
- From the trial's eligibility criteria. Read by machine on 12 November 2026.
- Record updated
- 23 October 2026