SABR-PSC Clinical Trial Results
SABR-PSC: New trial results for brodalumab in primary sclerosing cholangitis
Chief Investigator: Dr Amera Elzubeir
What is the SABR-PSC study?
SABR-PSC was a small scale, early-phase pilot (first step) study, undertaken to find out if a medication called brodalumab, which blocks a specific chemical messenger called IL-17 in the immune system to reduce inflammation, was safe, acceptable and practical to give to people with PSC. Dr Elzubeir also looked for early signs that it might help liver health.
What was the goal of SABR-PSC?
The main goal was to test safety, not to prove the drug works as a cure yet. Dr Amera Elzubeir wanted to see if brodalumab, which is already used to treat the skin condition psoriasis, could safely reduce inflammation and scarring in the liver without causing problems in the bowel.
Who took part in the SABR-PSC trial?
The study included a small group of patients with large duct PSC. Most participants were men in their 30s or 40s, and half of them also had ulcerative colitis. It was important that their bowel disease was ‘quiet’ (not in a flare-up) before they started.
How was brodalumab taken?
Participants received brodalumab as an injection under the skin. They had eight injections over 13 weeks: one every week for the first three weeks, and then one every other week. They were then followed for a total of six months.
What were the results of the SABR-PSC trial?
- Safety: Brodalumab appeared to be safe and well tolerated by participants for the full 13 weeks of treatment. Reported side-effects were mostly mild, such as tiredness or sore throat. There were no new liver safety worries during the study.
- Liver Health: Most participants showed either stable results or improvements in liver blood tests and/or non-invasive tests (for example Fibroscan, which measures liver stiffness), used to assess inflammation and scarring in the liver.
- Bowel Health: A major concern with this type of drug is whether it could cause a flare-up of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The study found no new cases of IBD and no flare-ups in patients who already had it.
What are the next steps for this research?
Because this small study showed the drug is safe, the researchers believe it is worth doing a larger trial. This next phase would likely include more patients (over 100) from different hospitals and might test a higher dose of the medicine to see if it can produce even better results for the liver.
Turning Ambition into Action in 2026:
Our Fortnight in Focus
At PSC Support, we want a world without PSC. We work tirelessly behind the scenes to drive research and improve lives. Here is a snapshot of what we've been up to:
Improving Care: We attended a major national clinical conference to equip general gastroenterologists and nurses with specialist knowledge, which helps ensure future work is better aligned with what people with PSC need by improving local care and pathways.
Progressing Research: Our 2024 investment into early-stage research to build necessary scientific evidence enabled Dr James Sun to secure major national funding to explore the genetic drivers of the disease. This foundational knowledge is essential for identifying potential new treatments.
Progressing Research: We supported the development of a research manuscript on nutrition in PSC, so that the findings can be effectively shared with the wider medical community. This will help us advocate for the needs of people with PSC to ensure they get the care they need at the right time.
Improving Care: We hosted a clinical consensus meeting to map out an ideal PSC care pathway, which helps ensure future PSC management is better aligned with what people with PSC need. Establishing standard protocols across the NHS is essential for eliminating regional variations in care.
Progressing Research: We contributed to the strategic planning of an international rare liver disease network, which supports progress towards better care for people with PSC. Broadening our influence ensures patient needs are integrated into wider clinical strategies.
Improving Care: We shared firsthand experiences of living with PSC at an international medical school event, which improves clinical understanding of the disease for healthcare professionals. This is important because ensuring future specialists understand the human impact of PSC helps drive patient-centered care and clinical excellence.
Progressing Research: After just over 48 hours on our Big Give Small Charity Week match funding initiative, your donations helped us get to 78% of the way to our £20,000 goal! Thank you! Can we reach 100%?