Rabeprazole, 20 mg once daily or 10 mg twice daily, is equivalent to omeprazole, 20 mg once daily, in the healing of erosive gastrooesophageal reflux disease.

BACKGROUND

Proton pump inhibitors are the most potent pharmacologic inhibitors of gastric acid secretion currently available, and have proven effective in the treatment of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GERD). The object of this study was to compare the efficacy and tolerability of a new proton pump inhibitor, rabeprazole at two different dosages, with that of omeprazole in the healing of erosive GERD.

METHODS

Rabeprazole 20 mg once daily (QD) and 10 mg twice daily (BID) were compared with omeprazole 20 mg QD in a double-blind, multicentre, parallel group study involving 310 patients with erosive GERD. The primary efficacy endpoint was oesophageal mucosal healing determined by endoscopy. Secondary endpoints included reduction in symptoms and improvements in quality-of-life scores.

RESULTS

The healing rates between both rabeprazole groups and the omeprazole group were equivalent in both the per-protocol and intent-to-treat populations. In the per-protocol population, rabeprazole 20 mg was noted to have a numerical trend toward more rapid daytime heartburn relief. However, by 4 and 8 weeks of treatment, no significant differences were found between groups for secondary endpoints, adverse events, or laboratory abnormalities including elevation of serum gastrin levels.

CONCLUSIONS

Rabeprazole 20 mg in two different dosing schedules is as effective as omeprazole 20 mg QD with regard to efficacy and tolerability in patients with erosive GERD.