Actigall

Ursodeoxycholic acid, also known as ursodiol and abbreviated UDCA, is a secondary bile acid produced in humans and most other animal species through metabolism of primary bile acids by intestinal bacteria. It was first identified in the bile of bears and takes its name from the genus Ursus. In purified pharmaceutical form it is used to treat and prevent a range of liver and bile duct diseases, working through several mechanisms: it reduces the cholesterol saturation of bile, which can dissolve certain gallstones, and it also has immunomodulating and anti-inflammatory effects on the epithelial cells lining the gastrointestinal and biliary tracts. Ursodeoxycholic acid, in an application filed by Allergan, was approved for use in the United States in December 1987 and was granted orphan drug status; it is now available as a generic medication under numerous brand names including Actigall, Urso, Ursofalk and Ursosan. It is a prescription-only medicine in major markets including the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, and its chemical formula is C24H40O4.