EFFECT OF REBAMIPIDE ON HELICOBACTER-PYLORI INFECTION IN PATIENTS WITH PEPTIC-ULCER

This study was designed to assess whether the gastroprotective drug, r ebamipide, aids in eradication of H, pylori. One hundred twenty patien ts, endoscopically diagnosed with gastric or duodenal ulcers and H, py lori infection, were randomly allocated to two treatment groups. Sixty patients received 40 mg of omeprazole twice a day, 1500 mg of amoxici llin three times a day, and 300 mg of rebamipide three times a day (gr oup OAR); the other 60 patients received the same dosage of omeprazole and amoxicillin but no rebamipide for two weeks (group GA). All patie nts subsequently received an H-2-receptor antagonist for six weeks. At the end of the treatment, endoscopy was performed to assess the statu s of the ulcers as well as the extent of H. pylori infection. In the i ntent-to-treat (73.3 vs 51.7%, P = 0.014) and per-protocol analyses (7 5.9 vs 55.3%, P = 0.021) the cure rates for H. pylori infection in gro up OAR were found to be significantly higher than those in group OA. O ur findings suggest that rebamipide aids in curing H. pylori infection . This drug does not induce formation of resistant colonies and has fe w side effects.