| abstract |
Obeticholic acid is a semi-synthetic bile acid analogue with an agonist effect upon the farnesoid X receptor (FXR). It is designed for the treatment of liver diseases, e.g. primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC), non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) or primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC). The present invention relates to crystalline forms of obeticholic acid of formula I, with the systematic name (3α,5β,6α,7α)-6-ethyl-3,7-dihydroxycholan-24-oic acid, a method for preparation and use thereof for the production of a dosage form. These crystalline forms can be advantageously used to increase purity of obeticholic acid and also for the preparation of its amorphous form. |