[Discovery and development of the proton pump inhibitor]

Gastric (H+/K+)-ATPase, the proton pump of the parietal cell, is responsible for the final step of acid secretion in the stomach. In 1981, picoprazole, a substituted benzimidazole, was found to inhibit (H+/K+)-ATPase. It was reported in 1983 that omeprazole has the most potent efficacy among the substituted benzimidazoles and today, omeprazole has been used for treatment of gastroduodenal disease. Recently, lansoprazole, similar to omeprazole in chemical structure, was developed in Japan, and several other compounds, such as pantoprazole, E-3810 and NC-1300-O-3, have also been reported to suppress acid secretion through inhibition of (H+/K+)-ATPase. In the present paper the background of the discovery of (H+/K+)-ATPase and development of proton pump inhibitors is reviewed.