An 8-week, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, multinational (n = 14), multicenter (n = 44) trial was conducted to determine whether
famotidine speeds healing and relief of symptoms in patients with benign
gastric ulcer. Of the 336 patients who entered the trial, 167 received 40 mg of
famotidine in the evening, and 169 received placebo. At 4, 6, and 8 weeks after entry,
ulcers had healed in a significantly (P less than 0.01) higher percentage of
famotidine-treated patients than in those treated with placebo (47%, 65%, 80% versus 31%, 46%, 54%, respectively).
Famotidine was also superior to placebo in relieving
ulcer symptoms; the proportion of patients receiving additional
antacid therapy was significantly lower in the
famotidine group. The findings show that the new H2-receptor antagonist
famotidine, administered as a single evening dose, significantly speeds the healing of benign
gastric ulcers and that it is a safe and highly effective treatment of gastric ulceration. The convenient dosage regimen of
famotidine (one
tablet in the evening) should improve patient compliance, which, in turn, may result in faster healing of
ulcers and a lower incidence of
ulcer complications.