[Pharma clinics medication of the month. Esomeprazole]

Esomeprazole is the last PPI registered on the Belgian market. It is the stable s-isomer of omeprazole. It has a better pharmacokinetic profile than omeprazole (racemate), allowing also better clinical performances. Esomeprazole is the first PPI shown superior to omeprazole in acute and chronic treatment of gastro-esophageal reflux disease. Controlled trials with this drug have also allowed to define new cost-effective strategies, such as on demand treatment for endoscopy-negative gastro-esophageal reflux and one week treatment of Helicobacter pylori positive duodenal ulcer.