A double-blind study of pantoprazole and omeprazole in the treatment of reflux oesophagitis: a multicentre trial.

BACKGROUND

Pantoprazole is a new substituted benzimidazole which is a potent inhibitor of gastric acid secretion by its action upon H+,K(+)-ATPase.

AIM

To compare pantoprazole 40 mg with omeprazole 20 mg as once daily dosing in the treatment of reflux oesophagitis (grades II and III).

METHODS

This double-blind, randomized, multicentre study included 286 patients. Patients were reendoscoped after 4 weeks, and continued to receive a further 4 weeks of treatment if they were not healed at this time.

RESULTS

After 4 weeks of treatment, complete healing occurred in 126/170 (74%) patients in the pantoprazole group and in 67/86 (78%) patients in the omeprazole group (per-protocol analysis). At 8 weeks, the corresponding healing rates were 153/170 (90%) and 81/86 (94%). The differences between the treatment groups were not significant (P = 0.57 and 0.34). Improvement in the principal symptoms of reflux oesophagitis was also very similar between the treatment groups, with 59% and 69% at 2 weeks, and 83% and 86% at 4 weeks, respectively, being free from any individual symptom. Both treatments were well tolerated.

CONCLUSIONS

This study has shown pantoprazole and omeprazole to be similarly effective and well tolerated in the treatment of mild to moderate reflux oesophagitis.