[Innovations in the treatment of gastroduodenal ulcers]

It has long been known that gastroduodenal ulcers may heal spontaneously; this is the placebo effect in which the healing rate ranges from 20% at 2 weeks to 80% at 8 weeks. Two or three weeks can be gained by using cimetidine or ranitidine, with healing rates of 42% at 2 weeks and 85% at 6 weeks. Ranitidine probably has less side-effects than cimetidine. A new drug, omeprozole, appears to be much more potent but is not yet available. A vagolytic drug with specific affinity to the stomach (pirenzepine), as well as low-dosage bismuth bi-citrate and gastric mucosa protectors (sucralfate) are now returning in force.