Farnesoid X receptor modulators (2011 - 2014): a patent review

Farnesoid-X-receptor (FXR) is the receptor for primary bile acids expressed in enterohepatic tissues where it regulates bile acid uptake, metabolism and disposal. For its role as a bile acid sensor, FXR has been thought to be an important target in the treatment of cholestatic disorders, a family of diseases in which endogenous bile acids accumulate in the body. Cholestasis might occur as a consequence of inborn metabolic errors and three major disorders, intra-hepatic cholestasis in pregnancy, primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) and primary sclerosing cholangitis account for the vast majority of clinical cholestasis occurring in adulthood. In addition, FXR agonists are gaining attention as potential regulators of lipid and glucose metabolism and therefore as new therapeutical approaches to the treatment of fatty liver disease, type 2 diabetes and obesity.