Paper

Pantoprazole 40 mg Is as Effective as Esomeprazole 40 mg to Relieve Symptoms of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease after 4 Weeks of Treatment and Superior regarding the Prevention of Symptomatic Relapse
Dirk Glatzel^a, Muwafeg Abdel-Qader^b, Gudrun Gatz^c, Bernd Pfaffenberger^c

Private Practices in
^aHanover and
^bWinsen, and
^cALTANA Pharma AG, Constance, Germany

Address of Corresponding Author

Digestion 2007;75 (Suppl. 1):69-78 (DOI: 10.1159/000101085)

  Key Words

• Randomized double-blind comparative study, pantoprazole vs. esomeprazole
• Gastroesophageal reflux disease
• Reflux questionnaire ReQuest^TM
• Symptom course

  Abstract

Background/Aim: Little is known about the symptom course during and after treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Here we address this question in patients with erosive GERD treated with pantoprazole or esomeprazole 40 mg once daily using the validated reflux questionnaire ReQuest^TM. Methods: Of 585 patients enrolled, 561 (intention-to-treat; ITT) patients with endoscopically confirmed GERD grades A-D (Los Angeles Classification) were randomized. To assess the GERD symptomatology, the patients completed the ReQuest daily, and analysis was done prior to (7 days), during (28 days), and after treatment (7 days). The mean scores (last 3 treatment days) of the subscale ReQuest^TM-GI (gastrointestinal complaints) were compared between both groups. After the end of treatment, the number of symptom episodes and the rate of relapses were calculated. Results: Noninferiority of pantoprazole versus esomeprazole during treatment was shown (mean ReQuest-GI score). During the posttreatment period, the proportion of patients experiencing a symptomatic relapse (51 vs. 61%, p = 0.0216, ITT) and the number of symptom episodes (0.56 vs. 0.74, p = 0.0095, ITT) were significantly lower on pantoprazole than on esomeprazole. Conclusions: Pantoprazole 40 mg was at least as effective as esomeprazole 40 mg for relieving GERD symptoms. During the posttreatment phase, patients on pantoprazole had a significantly lower risk to relapse and experienced significantly fewer symptom episodes.

Copyright © 2007 S. Karger AG, Basel

  Author Contacts

Dr. Bernd Pfaffenberger
ALTANA Pharma AG, Byk-Gulden-Strasse 2
DE-78467 Konstanz (Germany)
Tel. +49 7531 84 2293, Fax +49 7531 84 92293
E-Mail bernd.pfaffenberger@altanapharma.com

  Article Information

Published online: May 4, 2007
Number of Print Pages : 10
Number of Figures : 5, Number of Tables : 3, Number of References : 40