A cluster of recent breakthrough therapy designation awards in liver disease highlight advances in the field ahead of the US Food and Drug Administration’s difficult, and now delayed, decision on the future of Intercept’s Ocaliva (obeticholic acid) under accelerated approval in primary biliary cholangitis.
After Ocaliva: US FDA Sees Breakthrough Potential In New Approaches To Liver Disease
New nods for Boehringer Ingelheim’s survodutide, Sagimet’s denifanstat and Mirum’s volixibat bring the FDA’s non-infectious liver disease breakthrough therapy designations to 15, with six designees already approved.

More from Review Pathways
The Brazilian medicines regulator will also offer more clarity on the requirements for radiopharmaceuticals that are exempt from registration.
Novartis is planning to file EU and US marketing applications for an intrathecal formulation of its spinal muscular atrophy gene therapy, Zolgensma, in H1 2025.
The FDA’s accelerated approval draft guidance has left stakeholders seeking clarification of the process for determining a surrogate marker or intermediate clinical endpoint is reasonably likely to confirm clinical benefit.
Experts working in the advanced therapy space say the US has less strict criteria for regulatory pathways for cell and gene therapies than the EU, particularly for products in early development.
More from United States
Pharma executives and investors are waiting with bated breath to find out if President Trump will include drugs in a new round of tariffs to be announced on 2 April.
One CDRH employee said the cuts already are having a major effect on morale.
Mass FDA layoffs on 1 April were designed to spare product reviewers, but still touched many who are critical to the application review process or drug development, which could mean fewer treatments are brought to the US market first.