Cytoprotective agents and ulcer relapse.

This study establishes that real differences between relapse rates exist, and confirmed previous observations by Pounder et al. that relapse rates influence clinical outcomes in ulcer populations. The results make it clear that the way in which a drug influences relapse is an important determinant of therapeutic efficiency, additional to the requirement for healing efficiency. Cytoprotective agents as a group appear to be associated with lower relapse rates than cimetidine. It is not known whether the differences are peculiar to cimetidine, specific to the blockade of H2-histamine receptors, or whether they relate to the process of inhibition of secretory processes generally. Clearly, further comparisons are needed; however, conventional clinical trials are not designed to provide the necessary information. For the healing of peptic ulcers, lower relapse rates appear to provide therapeutic advantage to members of the cytoprotective group when compared with agents acting via anti-secretory mechanisms, in addition to that associated with the local (non-systemic) mode of action where applicable.