Esomeprazole can reduce upper GI symptoms in patients using NSAIDS

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Esomeprazole
Esomeprazole can reduce upper GI symptoms in patients using NSAIDS
By AstraZeneca, May 13, 2005 - 5:03:38 PM

Results from two clinical trials, published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology, demonstrate that NEXIUM® (esomeprazole magnesium) can reduce upper gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms such as moderate to severe pain, burning and discomfort in the upper abdomen associated with continuous, daily use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), including selective COX-2 inhibitors.

In the trials, NEXIUM 20 mg and 40 mg significantly improved upper GI symptoms in patients taking NSAIDs, including selective COX-2 inhibitors, versus placebo.

People who use NSAIDs regularly are at a high risk for upper GI disturbances including dyspepsia, abdominal pain, and heartburn. Although reducing the NSAID dosage or discontinuing therapy might ease GI symptoms, these alterations often are not an option for many patients because of the chronic nature of their underlying condition, said James M. Scheiman, M.D., Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan. These two trials demonstrate that NEXIUM was effective in reducing upper GI symptoms of patients on chronic NSAID therapy.

NEXIUM improved symptoms in as early as the second day of treatment and provided significantly faster symptom relief, compared with placebo. In one trial, 7 consecutive days of symptom relief occurred within an average of 11 and 10 days for patients treated with NEXIUM 20 mg and 40 mg, respectively, versus 17 days for placebo. In the other trial, 7 consecutive days of symptom relief occurred within an average of 10 and 11 days for patients treated with NEXIUM 20 mg and 40 mg, respectively, versus 21 days for placebo.

In addition, over the four week treatment period, the proportion of symptom-free days was significantly higher for patients treated with NEXIUM versus placebo in both trials (31 percent and 29 percent, vs. 21 percent, and 29 percent and 27 percent, vs. 14 percent in the two trials). More patients treated with NEXIUM (20 mg or 40 mg) also reported improvements on an overall treatment assessment after four weeks of treatment, versus placebo (70.6 percent and 56.8 percent for NEXIUM 20 mg, and 61.1 percent and 54.7 percent for NEXIUM 40 mg, compared with 47.7 percent and 40.9 percent for placebo in these trials).

About the Trials The clinical research trials were two identical, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials involving a total of 595 and 554 patients, respectively, who were continuous NSAID users and who did not have gastric ulcers, erosive esophagitis or H. pylori infection. Approximately one-third of the patients in both trials (30 percent, 38 percent) were taking only selective COX-2 inhibitors. In the trials, patients received NEXIUM 20 mg or 40 mg or placebo.

In both trials, the safety profile of NEXIUM 20 mg and 40 mg among continuous NSAID users was similar to placebo.

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