Rebamipide, a gastro-protective and anti-inflammatory drug, promotes gastric ulcer healing following eradication therapy for Helicobacter pylori in a Japanese population: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

Background: One week of Helicobacter pylori eradication therapy is insufficient for healing of gastric ulcers. We examined the efficacy of rebamipide in gastric ulcer healing following 1 week of eradication therapy in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Methods: Patients with H. pylori-positive gastric ulcer were enrolled and received 1 week of eradication therapy, followed by 100 mg of rebamipide or placebo for 7 weeks. The primary end point was the gastric ulcer healing rate. Results: Of the 309 patients entered in the trial, 301 completed H. pylori eradication therapy; 154 patients took rebamipide, and 147 took placebo. The healing rate in the rebamipide group was higher than that in the placebo group in the per-protocol analysis 80.0% (104/130) versus 66.1% (82/124) [95% confidence interval (CI), 3.1 24.7; P = 0.013) and in a full analysis 70.1% (108/154) versus 60.5% (89/147) (95% CI, 1.1 to 20.3; P = 0.080). Conclusions: Compared with placebo, rebamipide significantly promoted gastric ulcer healing following 1 week of eradication therapy.