Rabeprazole in treatment of acid peptic diseases - Results of three placebo-controlled dose-response clinical trials in duodenal ulcer, gastric ulcer, and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)

Rabeprazole, a new proton pump inhibitor, was studied in patients with acid-peptic-related diseases (duodenal ulcer, gastric ulcer, GERD) in three placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized clinical trials. Men and women over the age of 18 were enrolled if the presence of an active duodenal or gastric ulcer or erosive or ulcerative esophagitis was confirmed on upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. Patients were randomly allocated to either placebo or rabeprazole 20 mg or 40 mg in the duodenal and gastric ulcer protocols or to placebo or rabeprazole 10 mg, 20 mg, or 40 mg in the GERD protocol. All doses of rabeprazole in all three studies were statistically significantly superior to placebo in healing acid-related lesions. There were no treatment differences between the rabeprazole doses in healing active peptic lesions. The incidence of positive [C-13]urea breath test for H. pylori was 53% in patients with duodenal or gastric ulcers. H. pylori status was not effected by treatment with rabeprazole.