Cited by 127Liver Diseases and ImmunityDrug Transport and Resistance MechanismsPediatric Hepatobiliary Diseases and Treatments

Seladelpar efficacy and safety at 3 months in patients with primary biliary cholangitis: ENHANCE, a phase 3, randomized, placebo-controlled study

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Hirschfield, Gideon M., Shiffman, Mitchell L., Gulamhusein, Aliya, Kowdley, Kris V., Vierling, John M., Levy, Cynthia, Kremer, Andreas E., Zigmond, Ehud +33 more·2023·Hepatology

Abstract

Background and Aims: ENHANCE was a phase 3 study that evaluated efficacy and safety of seladelpar, a selective peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-δ (PPAR) agonist, versus placebo in patients with primary biliary cholangitis with inadequate response or intolerance to ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA). Approach and Results: Patients were randomized 1:1:1 to oral seladelpar 5 mg (n=89), 10 mg (n=89), placebo (n=87) daily (with UDCA, as appropriate). Primary end point was a composite biochemical response [alkaline phosphatase (ALP) < 1.67×upper limit of normal (ULN), ≥15% ALP decrease from baseline, and total bilirubin ≤ ULN] at month 12. Key secondary end points were ALP normalization at month 12 and change in pruritus numerical rating scale (NRS) at month 6 in patients with baseline score ≥4. Aminotransferases were assessed. ENHANCE was terminated early following an erroneous safety signal in a concurrent, NASH trial. While blinded, primary and secondary efficacy end points were amended to month 3. Significantly more patients receiving seladelpar met the primary end point (seladelpar 5 mg: 57.1%, 10 mg: 78.2%) versus placebo (12.5%) (p < 0.0001). ALP normalization occurred in 5.4% (p=0.08) and 27.3% (p < 0.0001) of patients receiving 5 and 10 mg seladelpar, respectively, versus 0% receiving placebo. Seladelpar 10 mg significantly reduced mean pruritus NRS versus placebo [10 mg: −3.14 (p=0.02); placebo: −1.55]. Alanine aminotransferase decreased significantly with seladelpar versus placebo [5 mg: 23.4% (p=0.0008); 10 mg: 16.7% (p=0.03); placebo: 4%]. There were no serious treatment-related adverse events. Conclusions: Patients with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) with inadequate response or intolerance to UDCA who were treated with seladelpar 10 mg had significant improvements in liver biochemistry and pruritus. Seladelpar appeared safe and well tolerated.

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Crossref · 10.1097/hep.0000000000000395

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  • In the ENHANCE trial, the proportion of patients who achieved ALP < 1.67 × ULN at 3 months was higher in the 10 mg seladelpar group (95%) and the 5 mg seladelpar group (95%), compared to placebo (23%) (p < 0.0001 in both comparisons).

    “The proportion of patients who achieved ALP < 1.67 × ULN at 3 months was higher in the 10 mg seladelpar group (95%) and the 5 mg seladelpar group (95%), compared to placebo (23%) (p < 0.0001 in both comparisons).”

    From Second-Line Therapies in Primary Biliary Cholangitis: A Comparative Review of Obeticholic Acid, Fibrates, Seladelpar, and Elafibranor (2025) · cites this paper as [16]

    The Results > Efficacy passage reports that 18% of placebo patients, 64% of the 5-mg group, and 82% of the 10-mg group achieved ALP <1.67×ULN at month 3. The claimed 23%, 95%, and 95% are instead the percentages who achieved a ≥15% decrease in ALP from baseline. The cited passage does not give p-values for the individual ALP <1.67×ULN comparison. (LLM, conf=0.95)

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  • The side effects more commonly reported in the seladelpar study group were nausea, gastrointestinal discomfort, and mild headaches.

    “The side effects that were more commonly reported in the study group were nausea, gastrointestinal discomfort, and mild headaches [16,23,47].”

    From Second-Line Therapies in Primary Biliary Cholangitis: A Comparative Review of Obeticholic Acid, Fibrates, Seladelpar, and Elafibranor (2025) · cites this paper as [16]

    In Results > Safety, Table 2 reports nausea, upper abdominal pain, and headache more often in both seladelpar groups than in the placebo group. The paper does not specify that the reported headaches were mild; its statement that all treatment-related adverse events were grade 1 or 2 does not establish the severity of every reported headache. Page numbers are unavailable in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.86)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Adverse events with seladelpar were almost identical to placebo when observed in both short and long-term studies.

    “Adverse events were almost identical to placebo when observed in both short and long-term studies [16,23,47].”

    From Second-Line Therapies in Primary Biliary Cholangitis: A Comparative Review of Obeticholic Acid, Fibrates, Seladelpar, and Elafibranor (2025) · cites this paper as [16]

    The Results > Safety section reports broadly comparable adverse-event rates for seladelpar and placebo during this study, though the rates were not identical (62.9% and 65.2% versus 73.6%). The Discussion identifies short duration as a limitation and cites phase 2 data suggesting safety through one year, but it does not provide a long-term placebo comparison. (LLM, conf=0.88)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • In the ENHANCE trial, ALT decrease from baseline was reported as −16.7% in seladelpar 10 mg (p < 0.03) and −23.4% in seladelpar 5 mg (p = 0.0008) when compared to placebo of −4.0%.

    “ALT decrease from baseline was reported as −16.7% in seladelpar 10 mg (p < 0.03) and −23.4% in seladelpar 5 mg (p = 0.0008) when compared to placebo of −4.0% [16].”

    From Second-Line Therapies in Primary Biliary Cholangitis: A Comparative Review of Obeticholic Acid, Fibrates, Seladelpar, and Elafibranor (2025) · cites this paper as [16]

    The Results > Efficacy passage reports month-3 ALT reductions of 16.7% with seladelpar 10 mg, 23.4% with 5 mg, and 4.0% with placebo. The Abstract > Approach and Results gives p=0.0008 for 5 mg versus placebo, but reports p=0.03—not p<0.03—for 10 mg. (LLM, conf=0.87)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • In the ENHANCE trial, the mean pruritus NRS change was −2.01 in seladelpar 5 mg (p = 0.48) and −3.14 in 10 mg (p = 0.02) when compared to −1.55 placebo.

    “The mean pruritis NRS change was −2.01 in seladelpar 5 mg (p = 0.48) and −3.14 in 10 mg (p = 0.02) when compared to −1.55 placebo.”

    From Second-Line Therapies in Primary Biliary Cholangitis: A Comparative Review of Obeticholic Acid, Fibrates, Seladelpar, and Elafibranor (2025) · cites this paper as [16]

    The Results > Efficacy passage reports all three changes and p-values at month 3. However, these figures apply only to evaluable patients with moderate-to-severe pruritus at baseline (NRS ≥4), a restriction the citing sentence omits. (LLM, conf=0.86)

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Research works printed but not linked: 1

  1. [21]Watkins PB. An independent blinded review of suspected drug-induced liver injury (DILI) in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) patients by a panel of pathologists and hepatologists: lessons learned from the seladelpar hepatoxicity review committee (SHRC). The European Association for the Study of the Liver International Liver Congress Virtual. 2021: 23– 26; Accessed April 12, 2022. https://www.postersessiononline.eu/173580348_eu/congresos/ILC2021/aula/-PO_1504_ILC2021.pdf.

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Authors
Hirschfield, G. M., Shiffman, M. L., Gulamhusein, A., Kowdley, K. V., Vierling, J. M., Levy, C., Kremer, A. E., Zigmond, E., Andreone, P., Gordon, S. C., Bowlus, C. L., Lawitz, E. J., Aspinall, R. J., Pratt, D. S., Raikhelson, K., Gonzalez-Huezo, M. S., Heneghan, M. A., Jeong, S.-H., Ladrón de Guevara, A. L., Mayo, M. J., Dalekos, G. N., Drenth, J. P. H., Janczewska, E., Leggett, B. A., Nevens, F., Vargas, V., Zuckerman, E., Corpechot, C., Fassio, E., Hinrichsen, H., Invernizzi, P., Trivedi, P. J., Forman, L., Jones, D. E. J., Ryder, S. D., Swain, M. G., Steinberg, A., Boudes, P. F., Choi, Y.-J., McWherter, C. A., & ENHANCE Study Group*
Affiliations
  • University Health Network (CA)
  • Tampa General Hospital (US)
  • Liver Institute Northwest (US)
  • Baylor College of Medicine (US)
  • University of Miami (US)
  • University Hospital Zurich (CH)
  • Cedars-Sinai Medical Center (US)
  • Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Division of Internal Medicine, Maternal-Infantile and Adult, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
  • Wayne State University (US)
  • Hospital Universitari i Politècnic La Fe (ES)
  • The University of Texas at San Antonio Health Science Center (US)
  • National Health Service (GB)
  • Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (US)
  • St Petersburg University (RU)
  • Metepec Edo Mex., Mexico
  • Seoul National University Bundang Hospital (KR)
  • Center of Research and Gastroenterology, Mexico City, Mexico
  • The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (US)
  • Department of Medicine and Research Laboratory of Internal Medicine, National Expertise Center of Greece in Autoimmune Liver Diseases, European Reference Network on Hepatological Diseases (ERN RARE-LIVER), General University Hospital of Larissa, Larissa, Greece
  • Radboud University Nijmegen (NL)
  • Medical University of Silesia (PL)
  • The University of Queensland (AU)
  • Liver Unit, Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
  • Technion – Israel Institute of Technology (IL)
  • Inserm (FR)
  • Zemun Hospital (RS)
  • Canberra Hospital (AU)
  • Azienda Ospedale - Università Padova (IT)
  • Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham (GB)
  • University of Colorado Anschutz (US)
  • National Institute for Health and Care Research (GB)
  • University of Calgary (CA)
  • CymaBay Therapeutics (United States) (US)
  • Intermountain Medical Center (US)
  • Stanford Medicine (US)
Corresponding author
Hirschfield, Gideon M.
Venue
Hepatology
Published
2023-04-06
Volume
78
Issue
2
Pages
397-415
ISSN
0270-9139 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W4362619875
Cited by
127
References
39
Citations by year
2026: 28 · 2025: 46 · 2024: 41 · 2023: 12
FWCI
21.47
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Hepatology (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Zurich Open Repository and Archive (University of Zurich) (acceptedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • Ghent University Academic Bibliography (Ghent University) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • Dipòsit Digital de Documents de la UAB (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • eScholarship (California Digital Library) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • IRIS UNIMORE (University of Modena and Reggio Emilia) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • Lirias (KU Leuven) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • Radboud Repository (Radboud University) (submittedVersion)
  • Digital Commons-TMC (Texas Medical Center) (submittedVersion)
  • BOA (University of Milano-Bicocca) (submittedVersion)
  • Zurich Open Repository and Archive (University of Zurich) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • Zurich Open Repository and Archive (University of Zurich)
Funders
  • U.S. Department of Justice
  • Abbott Laboratories
  • Amgen
  • Bristol-Myers Squibb
  • Eli Lilly and Company
  • Pfizer
  • AstraZeneca
  • GlaxoSmithKline
  • Sanofi
  • Gilead Sciences
  • Alnylam Pharmaceuticals
  • Celgene
  • Cook Medical
  • Exelixis
  • BioCryst
  • Kowa Company
  • NGM Biopharmaceuticals
  • Moderna
  • National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR200243, NF-SI-0513-10091)
  • Eisai
  • Novo Nordisk
  • Swedish Orphan Biovitrum
  • Ipsen
  • AOP Orphan
  • Dr. Falk Pharma
  • Norgine
  • Genentech
  • Allergan
  • Novartis Pharma
  • Loxo Oncology
  • Janssen Pharmaceuticals
  • Cilag
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Hepatology › Liver Diseases and Immunity
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Oncology › Drug Transport and Resistance Mechanisms
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Surgery › Pediatric Hepatobiliary Diseases and Treatments
Keywords
seladelpar, primary biliary cirrhosis, PPARδ agonist, pruritus, alanine aminotransferase, biochemical response, drug safety, early trial termination, ENHANCE trial, dose comparison, treatment-naive patients
MeSH terms
Acetates, Alkaline Phosphatase, Cholagogues and Choleretics, Humans, Liver Cirrhosis, Biliary, Pruritus, Ursodeoxycholic Acid

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