Helicobacter pylori: an overview on antimicrobials and drug delivery systems for its eradication

Since the discovery of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) in the early 1980s, its eradication has been one of the most important global challenges in gastroenterology. Various circumstances make the treatment with antimicrobials particularly difficult. One problem has been that antibiotics commonly used were designed for the treatment of infections throughout the body rather than for delivering high concentrations locally within the stomach. Many gastroretentive dosage forms were developed in order to eradicate the infection, yet additional advancements are still needed to eliminate the infection completely and decrease its prevalence worldwide. An overview on different antimicrobials and a literature survey about different drug delivery systems used in eradication of H. pylori infection are presented in this review.