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| |  Rabeprazole As Effective As Omeprazole In Preventing Relapse Of Recurrent Erosive GERD LONDON, UK -- July 11, 2000 -- Rabeprazole (Pariet®) 10 mg is as effective as omeprazole 20 mg in preventing relapse of healed erosive gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) according to a recent study published in Digestive Diseases and Sciences, heralding cost-saving potential for the NHS.1 Proton Pump Inhibitor (PPI) prescriptions currently cost the National Health Service (NHS) in excess of 400 million pounds each year and GERD maintenance prescriptions account for over 50 percent of these.2 The 52-week, double-blind, randomised, parallel group trial involved 243 patients from 21 European sites. The study's primary objective was to compare efficacy and tolerability of rabeprazole and omeprazole in preventing relapse of healed erosive GERD. When measured against omeprazole 20 mg at week 52, relapse rates on rabeprazole 10 mg matched omeprazole 20 mg results: 5 percent relapse for the rabeprazole 10 mg group and 5 percent for the omeprazole 20 mg group within the intent-to-treat group. The study's secondary objective was the comparison of efficacy in preventing GERD relapse symptoms - heartburn frequency and severity, overall well-being and antacid use - and in maintaining quality of life. Again, rabeprazole 10 mg results equaled results for omeprazole 20 mg with rabeprazole 10 mg patients reporting equivalent levels of good overall physical well being. Patients in the study's treatment groups tolerated their regimens equally well and the incidence of treatment side effects was equivalent across the groups. Rabeprazole 10 mg emerged as a well-tolerated, effective alternative to omeprazole 20 mg in the long-term management of GERD. GERD is a chronic condition affecting approximately 5 percent of the population in Western countries.3 Approximately 50-80 percent of GERD patients will experience recurrence within one year of completing initial treatment.4 For patients with erosive GERD, PPIs are the treatment of choice as they offer faster healing and symptom relief than other therapies1. A recent study in healthy volunteers found that rabeprazole had a significantly greater antisecretory effect after the first dose than with omeprazole.5,6 Successful acid suppression effects both the speed and degree of symptom relief and the rate of healing.7,8 References:
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