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Prevacid®
(lansoprazole) is highly effective in treating erosive esophagitis,
a severe form of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), according
to a study published in the journal Drugs.
Erosive
esophagitis is characterized by frequent and persistent heartburn
two or more days per week.
"Continuous
maintenance therapy is very important to a patient's management
of erosive esophagitis," said Dr. James Freston, Professor
of Medicine at the University of Connecticut Health Center
and author of the study. "Without treatment, a majority
of patients may experience esophagitis relapse within 12 months."
Freston
reviewed an extensive amount of clinical data regarding Prevacid's
safety and effectiveness in providing continuous relief of
symptoms during chronic therapy and maintaining healing of
erosive esophagitis.
Up to
79 percent of patients taking 15 mg of Prevacid daily and
up to 90 percent of patients taking 30 mg of Prevacid daily
remained healed after one year. Up to 24 percent of the groups
taking a placebo remained healed at 12 months. There were
low rates of relapse in the patients being treated with Prevacid.
A one-year
study comparing Zantac (ranitidine) to Prevacid showed patients
with erosive esophagitis who were taking Prevacid remained
healed for a significantly longer period of time than those
taking Zantac. Also, Prevacid was significantly more effective
than Zantac in providing complete relief of both daytime and
nighttime heartburn.
Prevacid
is a proton pump inhibitor and works by inhibiting gastric
acid secretion. Zantac, a histamine-2 receptor antagonist,
provides relief by decreasing the amount of acid the stomach
produces.
Source:
Medical Week staff,
week of May 26, 2002
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