The efficacy of the third pump inhibitor--pantoprazole--in the short-term treatment of Chinese patients with duodenal ulcer.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: To study the efficacy and tolerability of pantoprazole 40 mg once daily before breakfast compared with ranitidine 300 mg once daily at bedtime in Chinese patients with duodenal ulcer, and to evaluate the relationship between Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) clearance and ulcer healing rate. METHODOLOGY: A total of 160 patients (80 in each group) with endoscopically diagnosed, active duodenal ulcers were studied in this randomized double-blind trial. Endoscopy was performed after 2 weeks of treatment. If unhealed, then the patients were re-endoscoped after an additional 2 weeks of similar treatment. RESULTS: The healing rates after 2 and 4 weeks were 61.3% and 97.3%, respectively in the pantoprazole group, and 50.7% and 76.9% in the ranitidine group. The difference between the two groups was significant at 4 weeks (p < 0.01, per protocol analysis). The rate of pain free ulcer was higher in the pantoprazole group than in the ranitidine group at 2 weeks (84.2% vs. 59.6%, p < 0.01). Higher clearance of H. pylori was also observed in the pantoprazole group compared with the ranitidine group at 4 weeks (20% vs. 0%, p = 0.05). The healing rate tended to be higher in patients who were H. pylori-cleared at 2 weeks (p = 0.07) in the pantoprazole group. Both medications were well tolerated without any serious adverse effects. CONCLUSIONS: Pantoprazole 40 mg daily is superior to ranitidine 300 mg daily in the short-term treatment of acute duodenal ulcer in Chinese patients, in terms of ulcer healing and pain relief, and appears to be well-tolerated.