COMPARISON OF ROXATIDINE ACETATE AND RANITIDINE IN THE TREATMENT OF REFLUX ESOPHAGITIS

The 408 patients with symptomatic and endoscopic evidence of reflux es ophagitis were enrolled in a double-blind, multicenter study. For 6 we eks, 201 patients (median age, 51 years; 59 women) were randomly assig ned to receive 75 mg of roxatidine acetate twice daily and 207 (median age, 51 years; 62 women) received 150 mg of ranitidine twice daily. B aseline and final endoscopic findings were available for 158 of the ro xatidine group and 156 of the ranitidine group who completed the study . After treatment, completely healed or residual erythema of the mucos a (conventional healing rate) was found in 68% of the roxatidine group and in 69% of the ranitidine group, complete healing of the mucosa, i n 32% and 38%, and improvement in 83% and 84%. According to a reflux s ymptom index, at 6 weeks, 28% of 161 evaluable roxatidine-treated pati ents and 36% of 158 evaluable ranitidine-treated patients were asympto matic during both the day and night. The conventional healing rates in this study were similar to those in nine previous studies of ranitidi ne; 3 roxatidine-treated patients and 4 ranitidine-treated patients dr opped out of the study because of side effects. It is concluded that 7 5 mg of roxatidine acetate twice daily is as safe and effective as 150 mg of ranitidine twice daily in the treatment of reflux esophagitis.