Background: Intravenous (IV) formulations of proton pump inhibitors are effective for patients in whom oral therapy is not appropriate.
Aim: To compare IV esomeprazole and IV lansoprazole for the control of intragastric pH.
Methods: In this open-label crossover study, healthy, Helicobacter pylori-negative adults were randomized to one of two treatment sequences, each consisting of two 5-day dosing periods of IV esomeprazole 40 mg or IV lansoprazole 30 mg. Twenty-four-hour intragastric pH monitoring was conducted on days 1 and 5 of each dosing period.
Results: On days 1 and 5, intragastric pH was >4.0 significantly longer with esomeprazole than lansoprazole (least-squares means: day 1, 40.0% vs. 33.6%; day 5, 61.9% vs. 45.4%; both P < 0.0001). During the first 4 h of pH monitoring, intragastric pH was >4.0 significantly longer on days 1 and 5 with esomeprazole than lansoprazole (P < 0.0001). Kaplan-Meier estimates of median hours to stable pH >4.0 were 4.92 for esomeprazole and 5.75 for lansoprazole (P = 0.0014 for test on Gehan scores).
Conclusion: In healthy adults, IV esomeprazole 40 mg controlled intragastric acidity faster and more effectively than IV lansoprazole 30 mg.