Ursodeoxycholic acid

Ursodeoxycholic acid (CAS 128-13-2), commonly abbreviated as UDCA, is a secondary bile acid used as an active pharmaceutical ingredient and specialty chemical intermediate.

Where is Ursodeoxycholic acid used?

• Pharmaceutical manufacturing: bile acid modulator and membrane stabilizer
• Gallstone dissolution and hepatoprotective formulation development
• Oral solid dosage forms: primary API in tablets and capsules
• Cholestatic liver conditions and gallstone therapy
• Drug formulation development: bile acid surfactant improving solubility and bioavailability of poorly water-soluble compounds
• Cosmetics: emulsifying agent in skincare, useful in anti-aging and skin-barrier formulations
• It serves as a chiral building block in steroid-based pharmaceutical intermediate synthesis.

Commercial specifications

• Standard grades include USP, Ph. Eur. (EP), and BP, meeting purity requirements for finished pharmaceutical manufacturing
• API-grade material is the most commercially prevalent specification