de Vries E, Bolier R, Goet J, et al. - In patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) and secondary sclerosing cholangitis (SSC), researchers sought to evaluate impacts of bezafibrate on pruritus jin this investigator-initiated FITCH trial (“Fibrates for cholestatic ITCH”). For this double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial, patients with moderate to severe pruritus ( > 5 out of 10 on the visual analogue scale) due to PSC, PBC or SSC were selected between 2016 and 2019. For 21 days, study participants took once-daily bezafibrate (400 mg) or placebo. Seventy out of 74 randomized patients finished the trial (95%; 44 PSC, 24 PBC, 2 SSC). In improving moderate to severe pruritus in patients with PSC and PBC, bezafibrate is superior to placebo. Serum bile acids and autotaxin activity held steady. Serum creatinine levels appeared to increase mildly.