Lansoprazole in the treatment of reflux oesophagitis: a survey of clinical studies

The newly developed proton pump inhibitor lansoprazole has been compared to placebo, ranitidine and with omeprazole in a number of clinical studies in patients with reflux oesophagitis. In three comparative studies against ranitidine, lansoprazole was found to be superior in terms of healing rates and symptom relief. In two studies against omeprazole, no significant difference was found in healing rates, while a Scandinavian study demonstrated more prompt relief from heartburn. Further studies are presently being conducted to evaluate the potential of lansoprazole in long-term treatment of reflux oesophagitis. It is concluded that lansoprazole is a safe, effective therapy for reflux oesophagitis, superior to ranitidine and comparable with omeprazole.