Dosage form: capsule
Drug class:Gallstone solubilizing agents
Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on Nov 1, 2021.
On This Page
SPECIAL NOTE
Gallbladder stone dissolution with ursodiol treatment requires months of therapy. Complete dissolution does not occur in all patients and recurrence of stones within 5 years has been observed in up to 50% of patients who do dissolve their stones on bile acid therapy. Patients should be carefully selected for therapy with ursodiol, and alternative therapies should be considered.
Ursodiol Capsules Description
Ursodiol is a bile acid available as 200 mg and 400 mg capsules suitable for oral administration.
Ursodiol (ursodesoxycholic acid), is a naturally occurring bile acid found in small quantities in normal human bile and in the biles of certain other mammals. It is a bitter-tasting, white powder freely soluble in ethanol, methanol, and glacial acetic acid; sparingly soluble in chloroform; slightly soluble in ether; and insoluble in water. The chemical name for ursodiol is 3α,7β-Dihydroxy-5β-cholan-24-oic acid (C24H40O4). Ursodiol has a molecular weight of 392.57. Its structure is shown below:
