Famotidine in the management of duodenal ulcer: experience in Italy.

A multicenter study that involved 15 Italian institutions was carried out to compare the efficacy and safety of famotidine 40 mg at bedtime, famotidine 20 mg b.i.d., famotidine 40 mg b.i.d., and ranitidine 150 mg b.i.d. in promoting the healing of acute duodenal ulcer. Two hundred and twenty-four patients with endoscopically proven duodenal ulcer were randomly allocated into four treatment groups. Efficacy results for the four groups were similar at weeks 2, 4, and 8 of therapy. At week 8, the percentage of patients healed in each group was as follows: 92% in the famotidine 40-mg bedtime group, 97% with 20 mg b.i.d., 93% with 40 mg b.i.d., and 90% with ranitidine 150 mg b.i.d. Day pain and night pain were markedly reduced in all four groups, antacid consumption fell considerably, and therapy was generally well tolerated. The adverse experiences evaluated by the investigator as possibly, probably, or definitely related to test medication were rare and moderate.