Pirenzepine and cimetidine for duodenal ulcers. A comparative randomised double-blind controlled study.

A double-blind controlled trial was undertaken to compare the relative effectiveness of pirenzepine (Gastrozepin; Boehringer Ingelheim) and cimetidine (Tagamet; SK & F) in healing endoscopically proven duodenal ulcers. Thirty patients with duodenal ulcers were treated with pirenzepine 50 mg twice daily and 30 patients with cimetidine 400 mg twice daily. Endoscopy was repeated after 4 weeks. Ulcers healed completely in 15 patients on pirenzepine and 21 patients on cimetidine (chi-square test 3.05; P less than 0.1); this difference was not significant. Treatment resulted in endoscopic improvement in 25 patients on pirenzepine and in 26 patients on cimetidine; this difference was also not statistically significant (chi-square test 1.18; P less than 0.5). No adverse effects were seen with cimetidine. Mild and reversible side-effects were seen in 4 patients on pirenzepine. The efficacy of pirenzepine appears similar to that of cimetidine in the healing of duodenal ulcers.