Pylorid Vs Omeprazole For HP Eradication

Glaxo Wellcome's Pylorid/Tritec (ranitidine bismuth citrate) is moreeffective than Astra's proton pump inhibitor Losec (omeprazole) when used in dual-drug Helicobacter pylori eradication regimens with clarithromycin, according to the results of the first head-to-head study of the two drugs.

Pierre Pare of Quebec City University Medical Center reported the results of the study at the Digestive Diseases Week conference held in Washington DC, USA, last week. 294 patients with active duodenal ulcer (99% with confirmed H pylori infection) received two weeks' treatment with clarithromycin 500mg bd and either RBC 400mg bd or omeprazole 20mg bd. They then took the same regimen without the clarithromycin for a further two weeks.

Dr Pare found that the H pylori eradication rate (confirmed by urease breath test and biopsy) was 87% in the RBC group, and 56% in the omeprazole group, a significantly different result (p<0.001). Both treatments were well-tolerated.