Ranitidine bismuth citrate plus clarithromycin for the eradication of H. pylori

Reported observed intention-to-treat eradication rates for ranitidine bismuth citrate plus clarithromycin for 14 days range from 70-86% in studies from the USA and 82-96% in multinational studies carried out primarily in Europe. Two double-blind head-to-head comparisons with omeprazole plus clarithromycin or amoxycillin have shown that ranitidine bismuth citrate plus clarithromycin gives considerably higher eradication rates than the omeprazole based regimens. Ongoing studies will define the efficacy of shorter duration dual therapies and provide further data on two antibiotics with ranitidine bismuth citrate. The possibility that ranitidine bismuth citrate may help in the eradication of resistant organisms and even in the prevention of primary resistance requires further work to expand the preliminary in vitro observations. In the meantime, it can be concluded that ranitidine bismuth citrate, when used in conjunction with clarithromycin for 14 days, is an effective therapy for the eradication of H. pylori.