In vitro and In vivo evaluations of a tableted antacid and sucralfate, a new antiulcer agent.

Sucralfate is a nonsystemic drug used in the therapy of peptic ulcer disease. It is an aluminum salt of a sulfated disaccharide which adheres to ulcerated sites and forms a cytoprotective barrier to acid peptic digestion. The purposes of this study were to determine whether sucralfate had antacid activity in humans and to test the validity of the in vitro antacid qualifying test by comparing its results for tableted products with those of in vivo studies. In the in vitro antacid qualifying test Maalox #1 (4 tablets) passes and sucralfate (1 gm.) failed. These findings were consistent with the results of in vivo tests utilizing a telemetric device, the Heidelberg capsule and tube aspirations. We conclude that sucralfate does not possess antacid properties and that the results of the standard in vitro antacid qualifying test correlated well with those of in vitro studies.