Vonoprazan Helicobacter pylori eradication therapy: ethical and interpretation issues

Controversies regarding management of Helicobacter pylori infections

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The recognition that Helicobacter pylori should be considered and treated as an infectious disease has yet to fundamentally change diagnostic and treatment practices and has resulted in many controversies.

RECENT FINDINGS

We discuss the following controversies: whether the current 'per-patient' approach to H. pylori testing based on symptoms should be expanded to include achieving population-level H. pylori eradication, whether H. pylori should be approached as an infectious gastrointestinal disease similar to that of other infectious diseases of similar severity and outcome, whether treatment of H. pylori should be primarily empiric or based on antibiotic susceptibility and locally proven successful therapies as are other infectious diseases, whether it is necessary to obtain confirmation of treatment success in every patient treated for H. pylori , and whether potassium-competitive acid blockers should replace proton pump inhibitors in H. pylori therapy.

SUMMARY

Available guidelines and meta-analyses do not yet address H. pylori as an infectious disease. The diagnosis and management and treatment success of H. pylori infections trails behind that of other important infectious diseases. We provide new insights and propose changes in the traditional understanding required to modernize the management of H. pylori infections.

Prospective Study of Vonoprazan-Based First-Line Triple Therapy with Amoxicillin and Metronidazole for Clarithromycin-Resistant Helicobacter pylori

AIM

This was a prospective, multicenter, single-arm intervention, against historical controls, study of the efficacy of a vonoprazan-based 7-day triple regimen with metronidazole (VPZ-AMPC-MNZ) as a first-line therapy for eradicating clarithromycin-resistant Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori).

METHODS

We enrolled 35 patients positive for clarithromycin-resistant H. pylori, as assessed by culture, without a history of eradication. These 35 patients were prospectively eradicated with VPZ-AMPC-MNZ. As historical controls, we also assessed 98 patients with clarithromycin-resistant H. pylori from our prior prospective studies, who achieved H. pylori eradication with a 7-day triple regimen including clarithromycin (VPZ-AMPC-CAM). A preplanned analysis was performed as a superiority study against the historical controls (VPZ-AMPC-MNZ compared to VPZ-AMPC-CAM). In each regimen, vonoprazan was used at 20 mg bid, amoxicillin at 750 mg bid, metronidazole at 250 mg bid, and clarithromycin at 200 mg or 400 mg bid for 7 days. We assessed the outcome of eradication therapy using a 13C-urea breath test or H. pylori stool antigen test. We evaluated safety using patient questionnaires.

RESULTS

The intention-to-treat (ITT) and per-protocol (PP) eradication rates of VPZ-AMPC-MNZ were both 100% (95% confidence interval (95% CI) 90.0-100%, n = 35). The eradication rates of VPZ-AMPC-CAM were 76.5% (95% CI 66.9-84.5%, n = 98) in the ITT analysis and 77.3% (95% CI 67.7-85.2%, n = 97) in the PP analysis. The eradication rate of VPZ-AMPC-MNZ was significantly higher than that of VPZ-AMPC-CAM in both the ITT (p = 0.00052) and PP (p = 0.00095) analyses.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings suggest that 7-day VPZ-AMPC-MNZ was superior to 7-day VPZ-AMPC-CAM as a first-line regimen for eradicating clarithromycin-resistant H. pylori. We suggest VPZ-AMPC-MNZ as the standard first-line regimen for eradication of clarithromycin-resistant H. pylori in Japan.

Why the Vonoprazan Helicobacter pylori Therapies in the US-European Trial Produced Unacceptable Cure Rates

INTRODUCTION

Helicobacter pylori infects a large percentage of the world's population and is etiologically related to gastric cancer. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently approved two 14-day vonoprazan-containing regimens (vonoprazan-amoxicillin with or without clarithromycin) for H. pylori infections in the United States/Europe.

METHODS

We critically reviewed the trial methods to discover why the results were unacceptable low [i.e., no regimen achieved clinically acceptable (≥ 90%) or even conditionally acceptable cure rates (≥ 85%)]. Cure rates with antibiotic susceptible strains were 84.7 for vonoprazan triple therapy, 78.5 for vonoprazan-amoxicillin, and 78.7 for lansoprazole triple therapy, respectively. As was previously shown in Japan, the benefit from adding clarithromycin to vonoprazan-amoxicillin was minimal and the majority of the clarithromycin administered was unnecessary.

RESULTS

The possible reasons for failure to achieve high cure rates discussed include (a) reduced intragastric antibiotic concentrations, (b) an increase in heteroresistance, and (c) failure to achieve an intragastric pH conducive for amoxicillin to eradicate the infection. In addition, there was no pilot study or other attempt to optimize any regimen.

CONCLUSION

The most likely reason for failure was failure to achieve high intragastric concentrations of antibiotics or to achieve an intragastric pH conducive for amoxicillin to be active. Importantly, vonoprazan triple therapy resulted in > 10 tons of unneeded clarithromycin/million courses of vonoprazan triple therapy. Antibiotic misuse combined with low cure rates suggest that vonoprazan-clarithromycin triple therapies should not be prescribed for H. pylori infection. Dual vonoprazan-amoxicillin therapy has proven effective elsewhere and after optimization may eventually prove useful in the U.S./Europe.

Effectiveness and safety of vonoprazan-based regimens compared with those of proton pump inhibitor (PPI)-based regimens as first-line agents for Helicobacter pylori: a meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials

PURPOSE

Vonoprazan (VPZ), a reversible H⁺-K⁺ ATPase inhibitor, has a relatively fast and sustained acid-suppression action that is unaffected by diet or gene polymorphisms. Several randomized controlled trials have evaluated the difference in the eradication rate of Helicobacter pylori (HP) between VPZ-based and proton pump inhibitor (PPI)-based regimens. The present review aimed to (1) evaluate the efficacy, safety, and compliance of VPZ-based regimens compared with those of PPI-based regimens as first-line treatments for HP infection and (2) perform a subgroup analysis to examine the influence of differences in clarithromycin-resistance status, treatment duration, treatment regimens, and research region on treatment outcomes.

METHODS

We conducted a systematic literature search on PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and ChiCTR Register. Systematic searches, study selection, data extraction, risk of bias assessment, and statistical analysis were performed according to pre-registered protocol on the PROSPERO (CRD42022336608).

RESULTS

Eight studies and 2956 HP-infected patients were enrolled. Only first-line therapy and RCT study were considered. VPZ-based group had a superior eradication efficacy compared to PPI-based group by intention-to-treat (ITT) (pooled risk ratio (RR): 1.14, 95% CI: 1.08-1.21, p < 0.00001) and per-protocol analysis (pooled RR: 1.13, 95% CI: 1.07-1.20, p < 0.00001). This finding was further validated by subgroup analysis depending on treatment regimens, duration, region, and clarithromycin resistance. In addition, there was no significant difference in adverse events (p = 0.33) and compliances (p = 0.30) between the regimens.

CONCLUSION

The VPZ-based regimens showed a superior eradication efficacy compared to the already frequently used PPI-based regimens. Furthermore, VPZ-based therapy showed comparable tolerability and incidence of adverse events.

Multidrug resistance in Helicobacter pylori infection

Helicobacter pylori (Hp), a well-known human pathogen, causes one of the most common chronic bacterial infections and plays an important role in the emergence of chronic progressive gastric inflammation and a variety of gastrointestinal diseases. The prevalence of Hp infection varies worldwide and is indirectly proportional to socio-economic status, especially during childhood. The response to the eradication therapy significantly depends on the antibiotic resistance specific to each geographical region; thus, currently, given the increasing prevalence of antimicrobial resistance (especially to clarithromycin, metronidazole, and levofloxacin), successful treatment for Hp eradication has become a real challenge and a critical issue. The most incriminated factors associated with multidrug resistance (MDR) in Hp proved to be the overuse or the improper use of antibiotics, poor medication adherence, and bacterial-related factors including efflux pumps, mutations, and biofilms. Up to 30% of first-line therapy fails due to poor patient compliance, high gastric acidity, or high bacteremia levels. Hence, it is of great importance to consider new eradication regimens such as vonoprazan-containing triple therapies, quintuple therapies, high-dose dual therapies, and standard triple therapies with probiotics, requiring further studies and thorough assessment. Strain susceptibility testing is also necessary for an optimal approach.

Helicobacter pylori diagnosis and therapy in the era of antimicrobial stewardship

The diagnosis and therapy of Helicobacter pylori infection have undergone major changes based on the use the principles of antimicrobial stewardship and increased availability of susceptibility profiling. H. pylori gastritis now recognized as an infectious disease, as such there is no placebo response allowing outcome to be assessed in relation to the theoretically obtainable cure rate of 100%. The recent recognition of H. pylori as an infectious disease has changed the focus to therapies optimized to reliably achieve high cure rates. Increasing antimicrobial resistance has also led to restriction of clarithromycin, levofloxacin, or metronidazole to susceptibility-based therapies. Covid-19 resulted in the almost universal availability of polymerase chain reaction testing in hospitals which can be repurposed to utilize readily available kits to provide rapid and inexpensive detection of clarithromycin resistance. In the United States, major diagnostic laboratories now offer H. pylori culture and susceptibility testing and American Molecular Laboratories offers next-generation sequencing susceptibility profiling of gastric biopsies or stools for the six commonly used antibiotics without need for endoscopy. Current treatment recommendations include (a) only use therapies that are reliably highly effective locally, (b) always perform a test-of-cure, and (c) use that data to confirm local effectiveness and share the results to inform the community regarding which therapies are effective and which are not. Empiric therapy should be restricted to those proven highly effective locally. The most common choices are 14-day bismuth quadruple therapy and rifabutin triple therapy. Prior guidelines and treatment recommendations should only be used if proven locally highly effective.

Clinical Effect of Clarithromycin Combined with Tinidazole on Helicobacter pylori-Related Gastritis and Its Influence on COX-2 Expression

Studies have shown that COX-2 expression is upregulated in gastric cancer (GC) as well as in precancerous lesions and in Helicobacter pylori-induced inflammation, suggesting that cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) may play an important role in gastric carcinogenesis. We attempted to investigate the role of clarithromycin with tinidazole on Helicobacter pylori-related gastritis from the aspects of clinical effect and COX-2 expression. From January 2016 to January 2019, 130 patients with Helicobacter pylori-related chronic gastritis were collected and grouped into the observation group (OG) and the control group (CG). Altogether, 80 patients in the OG were treated with clarithromycin with tinidazole, while 50 patients in the CG were treated with amoxicillin with metronidazole. Clinical symptom improvement time, content of COX-2 and B cell lymphoma-2 (BCL-2), content of inflammatory factors interleukin-1 (IL-1), IL-4, and C-reactive protein (CRP), expression level of nutritional indicators serum albumin (ALB), realbumin (PA), and transferrin (TF), clearance of Helicobacter pylori, total effective rate, and incidence of adverse reactions were detected. Compared with the CG, the OG had shorter clinical symptom improvement time, lower COX-2 and Bcl-2, lower expression of inflammatory factors IL-1, IL-4, and CRP, higher expression of nutritional indicators ALB, TF, and PA, higher clearance rate of Helicobacter pylori, higher total effective rate, and lower incidence of adverse reactions. Clarithromycin combined with tinidazole can effectively improve the clinical effect of Helicobacter pylori-related gastritis and reduce the expression level of COX-2.

Vonoprazan-containing Helicobacter pylori triple therapies contribution to global antimicrobial resistance

Amoxicillin and proton pump inhibitor dual Helicobacter pylori therapy has proved not to be reliably highly effective primarily because of traditional proton pump inhibitors' inability to maintain a high intragastric pH. Clarithromycin and proton pump inhibitor H. pylori dual therapy failed in part because clarithromycin resistance emerged during therapy causing treatment failures. The combination of amoxicillin, clarithromycin, and proton pump inhibitor was subsequently undermined by increasing clarithromycin resistance. Although vonoprazan appeared to restore the effectiveness of triple therapy, the improvement was almost entirely to improved effectiveness of amoxicillin dual therapy component and resulted in the majority (>85% currently in Japan) of those receiving vonoprazan-amoxicillin plus a second antibiotic (e.g. clarithromycin, metronidazole, fluoroquinolone, or rifabutin) receiving no benefit from the second antibiotic. The results in somewhere between 2800 and 5600 kg of unnecessary clarithromycin per one million H. pylori treatment courses per year in Japan. The only contribution of the second antibiotic is to increase global antimicrobial resistance. There are now sufficient data to prove that optimized vonoprazan-amoxicillin dual therapy can reliably achieve cure rates ≥95%. This manuscript discusses use of the principles of antimicrobial stewardship to develop potassium-competitive acid blocker-containing H. pylori therapies that will reliably achieve high H. pylori cure rates with minimal or no use of excess antibiotics. Such therapies are urgently needed so that use of vonoprazan triple therapies can be curtailed while also improving overall H. pylori cure rates.

Vonoprazan and Helicobacter pylori Treatment: A Lesson From Japan or a Limited Geographic Phenomenon?

Within a short time after the discovery of Helicobacter pylori, its critical role in many gastroduodenal disorders became evident. Many in vitro and in vivo data have proven that infection should be treated in order to avoid lasting colonization which may lead to problematic gastroduodenal diseases. Probiotics, preventive and therapeutic vaccines and antibiotic therapy are the main options proposed to cure these disorders. 25 years ago, triple therapy including a traditional proton pump inhibitor (PPI) and two antibiotics (amoxicillin and clarithromycin or metronidazole) was defined as the best therapy formulation for the H. pylori infection. With the strongly decreased effectiveness of this scheme, many empirical therapeutic regimens have been developed. However, the prevalence of resistance is increasing worldwide and reveals important geographic differences and even the most recent and effective regimens show some critical points. Therefore, efficacy of vonoprazan-based therapy in regions with low rate of clarithromycin resistance may be limited. In this review, we attempt to open a new window to overcome the problem of antibiotic resistance to H. pylori. In fact, we focused our attention on the possibility that conventional PPI may be replaced by vonoprazan, thus giving rise to the beginning of a new era characterized by an improved therapeutic option for H. pylori infection. Therefore, we hypothesize that switching to vonoprazan as a novel acid blocker for H. pylori treatment might allow an unexpected reassessment of the triple therapy, at least in regions with low rate of clarithromycin resistance. Nevertheless, this optimistic view of the problem could be disproved by the possible failure of vonoprazan based therapeutic regimens outside of Japan in geographic areas characterized by different rates of antibiotic resistances.

Treating Helicobacter pylori effectively while minimizing misuse of antibiotics

Experts now recommend that all Helicobacter pylori infections be eradicated unless there are compelling reasons not to. As with other infectious diseases, effective therapy should be based on susceptibility.

Safety of first-line triple therapy with a potassium-competitive acid blocker for Helicobacter pylori eradication in children

BACKGROUND

Helicobacter pylori infection is a risk factor for gastric cancer, and it has been reported that eradication of H. pylori is effective for preventing such cancer. Recently, H. pylori eradication has been performed in children as first-line therapy against gastric cancer. Here, we report use of triple therapy with a potassium-competitive acid blocker (P-CAB) for H. pylori eradication in children.

METHODS

H. pylori infection testing and eradication therapy began in fiscal year 2015 in junior high school students located in Yurihonjo city and Nikaho city, Akita prefecture, Japan. Urine-based immunochromatography, stool antigen enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay tests, and serum antibody tests were performed as the initial screening examination. Those who tested positive on one of the three examinations then underwent a urea breath test (¹³C-UBT). Those who tested positive on ¹³C-UBT and expressed the desire to undergo H. pylori eradication then received eradication therapy comprising 20 mg P-CAB, 750 mg amoxicillin, and 200 mg clarithromycin twice a day for 7 days. At least 8 weeks after treatment, eradication success was evaluated using ¹³C-UBT.

RESULTS

A total of 118 students received eradication therapy. Eradication rates were 81.3% (95% confidence interval: 74.3-88.4, 96/118) in ITT analysis and 85.7% (95% confidence interval: 79.1-92.9 96/112) in PP analysis. Adverse effects associated with eradication therapy were observed in 25 of 118 subjects (21.1%), seven of whom required hospital treatment (rash in five, vomiting in two). All seven subjects either discontinued therapy or were administered anti-allergy drugs, which resulted in swift alleviation of symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

First-line triple therapy with a P-CAB for H. pylori eradication in children was found to be safe.

Benign and malignant gastroduodenal diseases associated with Helicobacter pylori: a narrative review and personal remarks in 2018

The subject of Helicobacter pylori continues to elicit worldwide interest in many research fields. Epidemiological data suggest that the prevalence of the infection is decreasing in Western/developed countries and even in some developing regions, but this is masked by the high prevalence in the most populous regions. Chronic gastritis, caused invariably by the bacterium, was again classified in Kyoto and Helicobacter pylori-associated gastritis was included as a distinct entity. The prevalence of peptic ulcers is decreasing, but bleeding ulcers are a challenging problem, with stable mortality levels even in the endoscopic era. With the extended use of endoscopy, gastric polyps (GP) have become more prevalent: some are associated with the infection, some are not. Autoimmune and Helicobacter-induced gastritis can share common pathogenetic mechanisms. Gastric cancer (GC) is ranked highly on mortality lists worldwide. Its surgical treatment has registered some progress though. Little, if any improvement has been achieved in the medical treatment of advanced GC. With proper organization, GC seems a preventable disease. In spite of many guidelines, the Pan-European registry of Helicobacter pylori management shows that eradication rates obtained in many places are suboptimal. A new therapeutic regimen was compiled with promising pilot results. The results obtained with vonaprazan are limited to Asia. New avenues of both antibiotic and non-antibiotic treatments are expected to accelerate the eradication of this ulcerogenic and carcinogenic bacterium.

Vonoprazan: A Novel and Potent Alternative in the Treatment of Acid-Related Diseases

Although proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) have been used widely, acid-related diseases are still associated with a huge burden on the health care system. Recently, the efficacy and safety of a new acid suppressant named vonoprazan in the treatment of acid-related diseases have been evaluated by a series of studies. As a novel potassium-competitive acid blocker, vonoprazan may provide reversible acid suppression by preventing K⁺ from binding to gastric H⁺/K⁺-ATPase. It has been clinically used for the short-term treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), peptic ulcer disease and Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection in Japan. The healing rate of GERD and gastric ulcers by vonoprazan is more than 95 and 90%, respectively; also, it is effective in curing PPI-resistant GERD. It increases H. pylori eradication rate to more than 88% as part of both first-line and second-line therapy. It is also effective in the eradication of clarithromycin-resistant H. pylori strains. All of these short-term studies show vonoprazan is safe and well-tolerated. As a safe and effective acid inhibitor, vonoprazan might be a novel alternative in the treatment of acid-related diseases.

Efficacy of Vonoprazan-Based Triple Therapy for Helicobacter pylori Eradication: A Multicenter Study and a Review of the Literature

BACKGROUND

Eradication therapies for Helicobacter pylori infection are advancing as new acid inhibitory reagents approved. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy and safety of vonoprazan-based triple treatment.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Triple therapy with vonoprazan and two antibiotics (amoxicillin and clarithromycin or metronidazole) received focus in this analysis. We performed a multicenter retrospective study of patients who received vonoprazan-based eradication therapy between February 2015 and February 2016 and conducted a review of the literature.

RESULTS

The eradication rate among the 799 patients in our multicenter study was 94.4% (95% confidence interval [CI] 92.6-96.2%) in the per-protocol analysis for first-line treatment (with vonoprazan 20 mg, amoxicillin 750 mg, and clarithromycin 200 or 400 mg, twice a day for 7 days) and 97.1% (95% CI 93.0-101.1%) for second-line treatment (with vonoprazan 20 mg, amoxicillin 750 mg, and metronidazole 250 mg, twice a day for 7 days). The overall incidence of adverse events was 4.4% in an intention-to-treat analysis with no patients hospitalized. In a literature review, six reports, in which 1380 patients received vonoprazan-based first-line eradication therapy, were included and were all reported by Japanese researchers. The eradication success rates in per-protocol analysis were between 85 and 93%, which was roughly the same among the studies.

CONCLUSIONS

Vonoprazan-based triple therapy was effective and safe for Helicobacter pylori eradication in real-world experience, confirmed by a multicenter study and a review of the pertinent literature.

Systematic review with meta-analysis: the efficacy of vonoprazan-based triple therapy on Helicobacter pylori eradication

BACKGROUND

In order to increase eradication rates, vonoprazan, a novel potassium-competitive acid blocker, has been used in Helicobacter pylori eradication therapy.

AIM

To summarise the results of the efficacy of vonoprazan-based triple therapy, helping clinicians to better understand the benefit of vonoprazan in the treatment of H. pylori infection.

METHODS

We conducted a systematic literature search on MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library using the primary keywords "vonoprazan," "takecab", "TAK-438," "potassium," "competitive," "potassium-competitive," "Helicobacter," and "pylori." Studies were included if they evaluated the eradication rate between the vonoprazan-based and proton pump inhibitor (PPI)-based triple therapies.

RESULTS

Ten studies and 10 644 patients were evaluated. The crude H. pylori eradication rate determined by intention-to-treat analysis was 87.9% and 72.8% in the vonoprazan-based triple therapy and PPI-based triple therapy respectively. The eradication rate of the vonoprazan-based triple therapy was superior to that of the PPI-based triple therapy (pooled risk ratio [RR] [95% confidence interval (CI)]=1.19 [1.15-1.24]) In addition, there was no significant difference in dropout rate due to adverse event between the regimens (pooled RR of the vonoprazan-based triple therapy [95% CI]=0.69 [0.23-2.03]). The incidence of any adverse events also did not differ between the regimens (pooled RR [95% CI]=1.02 [0.78-1.34]).

CONCLUSIONS

The vonoprazan-based triple therapy showed superior efficacy in terms of H. pylori eradication as compared to the PPI-based triple therapy. In addition, the vonoprazan-based triple therapy showed comparable tolerability and incidence of adverse events.

Novel and Effective Therapeutic Regimens for Helicobacter pylori in an Era of Increasing Antibiotic Resistance

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a common gastrointestinal bacterial strain closely associated with the incidence of chronic gastritis, peptic ulcers, gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma, and gastric cancer. A current research and clinical challenge is the increased rate of antibiotic resistance in H. pylori, which has led to a decreased H. pylori eradication rate. In this article, we review recent H. pylori infection and reinfection rates and H. pylori resistance to antibiotics, and we discuss the pertinent treatments. A PubMed literature search was performed using the following keywords: Helicobacter pylori, infection, reinfection, antibiotic resistance, bismuth, proton pump inhibitors, vonoprazan, susceptibility, quintuple therapy, dual therapy, and probiotic. The prevalence of H. pylori has remained high in some areas despite the decreasing trend of H. pylori prevalence observed over time. Additionally, the H. pylori reinfection rate has varied in different countries due to socioeconomic and hygienic conditions. Helicobacter pylori monoresistance to clarithromycin, metronidazole or levofloxacin was common in most countries. However, the prevalence of amoxicillin and tetracycline resistance has remained low. Because H. pylori infection and reinfection present serious challenges and because H. pylori resistance to clarithromycin, metronidazole or levofloxacin remains high in most countries, the selection of an efficient regimen to eradicate H. pylori is critical. Currently, bismuth-containing quadruple therapies still achieve high eradication rates. Moreover, susceptibility-based therapies are alternatives because they may avoid the use of unnecessary antibiotics. Novel regimens, e.g., vonoprazan-containing triple therapies, quintuple therapies, high-dose dual therapies, and standard triple therapies with probiotics, require further studies concerning their efficiency and safety for treating H. pylori.

Vonoprazan-based therapy for Helicobacter pylori eradication: experience and clinical evidence

Stable suppression of gastric acid secretion is a crucial factor in Helicobacter pylori eradication. Vonoprazan is a potassium-competitive acid blocker recently approved for use in Japan. As vonoprazan has a long duration of action and causes rapid and strong inhibition of gastric acid secretion, it has gained clinical attention for treating erosive oesophagitis, peptic ulcers, and H. pylori infection. In this review, we discuss the recent knowledge regarding the safety and efficacy of vonoprazan, focusing on its use in H. pylori eradication. The latest literature and our clinical experience have shown that vonoprazan-based therapies have satisfactory eradication rates. Additionally, vonoprazan-based therapies are associated with similar rates of adverse events as standard triple therapies with conventional proton-pump inhibitors.

Helicobacter pylori Eradication with Proton Pump Inhibitors or Potassium-Competitive Acid Blockers: The Effect of Clarithromycin Resistance

BACKGROUND

Vonoprazan is a novel potassium-competitive acid blocker (P-CAB) recently approved for Helicobacter pylori eradication therapy in Japan.

AIMS

To compare PPI- and P-CAP-containing triple therapy and vonoprazan-based triple therapy.

METHODS

Two hundred ninety-five initial subjects received a PPI-containing triple therapy; the next 125 subjects received vonoprazan-containing triple therapy. Two sequential groups received 7-day eradication regimens consisting of amoxicillin 750 mg, clarithromycin 200 mg both twice a day with standard dose PPI or vonoprazan (20 mg) each twice daily. H. pylori eradication was confirmed by a 13C-UBT. Clarithromycin susceptibility was evaluated by 23S rRNA PCR.

RESULTS

Population cure rates with clarithromycin susceptible strains were 89.6 versus 100 % for PPI and vonoprazan therapies, respectively. Cure rates with resistant strains were 40.2 % with PPI therapy versus 76.1 % with vonoprazan triple therapy. There was no difference in side effects.

CONCLUSIONS

Although 7-day P-CAB triple therapy was superior to 7-day PPI triple therapy, neither was highly effective, or can be recommended, in the presence of clarithromycin-resistant infections.