CLINICAL-EVALUATION OF TEPRENONE, A MUCOSAL PROTECTIVE AGENT, IN THE TREATMENT OF PATIENTS WITH GASTRIC-ULCERS - A NATIONWIDE, MULTICENTER CLINICAL-STUDY

The recurrence rate of gastric ulcers healing to a white scar is low, whereas that of ulcers healing to a red scar is high. Teprenone is a m ucosal protective agent that can promote epithelial regeneration by in creasing the mucosal hexosamine content. It promotes white scar format ion when administered as maintenance therapy for ulcers. A nationwide, multicenter study was performed to determine whether white scar forma tion was also promoted when teprenone was used during initial therapy. Analysis of the data from 1249 patients showed that teprenone signifi cantly promoted white scar formation. The presence of severe ulcers (l arge size and active stage), ulcer location at the gastric angulus, an d smoking retarded white scar formation irrespective of the use of tep renone.