Proton-pump inhibition for acid-related disease

Omeprazole and lansoprazole are the forerunners of a group of substituted benzimidazole compounds that block the gastric proton pump. These drugs exert a potent antisecretory effect by blocking the final common pathway of acid secretion. Prolonged, potent reduction of acid secretion using omeprazole has resulted in significant therapeutic advantage over existing antisecretory medication, such as H2 receptor antagonists (H2RAs). Research experience with lansoprazole indicates that it has treatment properties for acid-related disease that are similar to those of omeprazole. Omeprazole has been used successfully in the treatment of reflux esophagitis and the Zollinger-Ellison syndrome in the United States over the past year and has received approval recently as first-line therapy for duodenal ulcer disease. Research involving more than 20,000 individuals, postmarketing surveillance studies, and thorough safety studies in man and animals have shown omeprazole to be well tolerated, with an incidence and spectrum of adverse events in clinical trials similar to those observed with H2RAs.