Heartburn Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Heartburn, including details on symptoms, causes, prevention, treatment, diet, reflux, drugs.

Pantoprazole provides rapid and sustained symptomatic relief in patients treated for erosive oesophagitis.

Bochenek WJ, Mack ME, Fraga PD, Metz DC

Clinical Research and Development, Wyeth Research, Collegeville, PA, USA.

BACKGROUND: Effective symptom control is a primary concern of most heartburn suffers. AIM: To compare the safety and efficacy of pantoprazole, placebo and the H2 antagonist nizatidine in relieving symptoms in patients with erosive oesophagitis. METHODS: Data from two randomized, double-blind studies were pooled. Patients received pantoprazole 10, 20 or 40 mg, or placebo daily (study 1, n = 603), or pantoprazole 20 or 40 mg daily or 150-mg nizatidine b.d. (study 2, n = 243) for either 4 or 8 weeks. Endoscopy was performed at baseline, week 4 and week 8. Persistent absence of symptoms was defined as the first day that no symptoms were reported by the patient on that day or any subsequent study day. RESULTS: A significantly higher percentage (P < 0.05) of pantoprazole patients reported elimination of all symptoms by week 8. Daytime heartburn, night-time heartburn and regurgitation were significantly better controlled with pantoprazole (with a dose-response at most time-points). Absence of symptoms was a powerful predictor of healing; presence of symptoms correlated poorly. CONCLUSION: Pantoprazole is more effective than placebo or nizatidine for controlling heartburn and acid regurgitation in patients with erosive oesophagitis. Relief of GERD symptoms is highly predictive of healing of erosive oesophagitis at 4 and 8 weeks.

Published 30 November 2004 in Aliment Pharmacol Ther, 20(10): 1105-14.
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