Deoxycholic Acid
ATX-101 (medical), sodium deoxycholate for subcutaneous injection, is being evaluated as a treatment for the reduction of localized fat deposits. This includes treatment of superficial lipomas (benign tumors of soft tissue composed of mature fat cells), fat deposits in the submental region of the face/neck, and localized fat deposits in other parts of the body. Deoxycholic acid is a naturally occurring bile acid produced by the liver as one of several end products of cholesterol metabolism. As a naturally occurring component of the human body, deoxycholate is considered a ‘biocompatible’ detergent that solubilizes fat in the small intestine. ATX-101 demonstrates a relative selectivity for fat over other tissues.