Rioprostil, a new prostaglandin E1 analogue, in the once-daily treatment of acute duodenal ulcer: a comparison with ranitidine.

The efficacy of Rioprostil (a new prostaglandin E1 analogue) is compared with ranitidine in the once-a-day treatment in the evening for 4 or 6 weeks of active uncomplicated duodenal ulcer disease. A total of 255 patients are entered in this study; of these 243 have been statistically evaluated. One hundred and twenty (120) patients receive rioprostil 600 micrograms/daily, and 123 patients receive ranitidine 300 mg/daily. After 4 weeks 63.3% of the patients on rioprostil are endoscopically healed, as compared with 69.1% on ranitidine. After 6 weeks the cumulative cure rates are 87.3% and 89.9%, respectively, the difference not being statistically significant. Pain relief is similar for both drugs. Diarrhoea with rioprostil occurs in about 2% of the treatment days and is generally self-limiting.