Biliary atresia is a disease that affects infants. In this disease, the bile ducts are inflamed and blocked right after the birth. Bile is a digestive fluid that is produced and released by the liver. It travels to the small intestine through the bile ducts, where it helps in digesting fats. As the bile ducts are blocked, bile remains in the liver, where it starts to destroy liver cells rapidly and cause cirrhosis, or scarring of the liver. Reason that causes the inflammation of the ducts is not known, but it may be due to infections, toxins, immune problems. The first sign or symptom of biliary atresia is jaundice. Other symptoms include dark brown urine, difficulty in gaining weight, pale colored stools, and enlarged spleen.
In maximum cases, biliary atresia manifests several weeks to months after birth, probably after inflammation and scarring of the extrahepatic (and occasionally intrahepatic) bile ducts. It is rarely present in premature infants or in neonates at birth (or is unrecognized in neonates). Biliary atresia needs treatment by liver specialists and surgeons. Babies with blocked bile ducts require a surgery, which is called the Kasai procedure. This allows bile to drain directly from the liver into the small intestine. At the start of the surgery, the doctor will perform a cholangiogram to check if bile ducts are blocked. If they’re not blocked, the baby won’t require the procedure. Prophylactic antibiotics are often prescribed for a year postoperatively in order to prevent ascending cholangitis. Drugs that increase bile production (choleretic agents), consisting of ursodiol about are frequently used postoperatively. Nutritional therapy including supplemental fat-soluble vitamins is essential to ensure adequate intake to support growth. Even with optimal therapy, about 50% of babies develop cirrhosis and require liver transplantation.
Market Dynamics
The need to develop a safe and effective drug and the ongoing clinical trials for biliary atresia are expected to drive the global biliary atresia treatment market growth over the forecast period. For instance, as of October 2021, pentoxifylline (PTX), a methylxanthine derivative, is under phase II of clinical trials. The trial's aim is to determine if PTX has sufficient biological activity against biliary atresia to warrant further study. PTX will be administered orally for 90 days as an adjunct to standard therapy, i.e., the Kasai procedure, if applicable.
Key features of the study:
Detailed Segmentation:
“*” marked represents similar segmentation in other categories in the respective section.
*Browse 28 market data tables and 24 figures on "Biliary Atresia Treatment Market” - Global forecast to 2028
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