H2-receptor antagonists: development and application.

The advent of H2-receptor antagonists has dramatically advanced the understanding and treatment of peptic ulcer disease. Ranitidine and cimetidine have been shown to be safe and effective in healing duodenal and gastric ulcers and in prevention of duodenal ulcer relapse. Due to differences in chemical structure, ranitidine is more potent and has a longer duration of action and fewer side effects than cimetidine. The current trend in therapy is toward less frequent dosing patterns with more attention toward controlling nocturnal acid secretion. Possibilities for other therapeutic uses of H2-receptor antagonists are suggested.