H. pylori therapies: the new, the effective and the irrelevant?

Abstract

The results of the latest study of Oravax’ new therapeutic vaccine for Helicobacter pylori infection were presented at Digestive Disease Week [ San Francisco, US; May 1996 ]. However, researchers involved in investigating the vaccine say that clinical efficacy trials are still some years away, as further safety evaluation is necessary. Moving on to clinical practice, a study comparing 3 forms of triple therapy showed that there were no significant differences in efficacy or tolerability between them, although a combination of omeprazole, amoxicillin and metronidazole was less effective at eradicating H. pylori in a subgroup of patients with metronidazole-resistant infection, compared with the other treatments. Finally, there was disappointing news from a study involving patients with nonulcer dyspepsia. Researchers had though that H. pylori may be involved in the onset of this disorder, and that dual or triple therapy may alleviate dyspeptic pain. Unfortunately, treatment had no effect, which sends the researchers back to the drawing board as they try to determine how to treat this condition.