Strong data for AtstraZeneca's Nexium vs Prevacid

Anglo-Swedish drug major AstraZeneca says that a new study involving more than 1,000 patients with healed erosive esophagitis, reports that its proton pump inhibitor Nexium (esomeprazole magnesium) is more effective than Prevacid (lansoprazole) in preventing recurrence and is equally effective in reducing its associated symptoms. The results of the study, published in this month's issue of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, corroborate results from previous head-to-head trials demonstrating the efficacy of the agent as compared to other PPIs in maintaining erosive esophageal healing.

According to the London-headquartered pharmaceutical major, the double-blind, randomized, double-dummy, parallel-group trial demonstrated that more patients on 20mg of Nexium once daily maintained healing of EE over six months compared with patients treated with lansoprazole 15mg once daily. Remission rate for Nexuim patients (no recurrence of EE and no withdrawals from the study due to an increase in acid reflux symptoms) was significantly higher (84.8%) than that of lansoprazole-treated patients (75.9%; p=0.0007).