Vonoprazan versus proton-pump inhibitors for healing gastroesophageal reflux disease: A systematic review

J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2019 Aug;34(8):1316-1328. doi: 10.1111/jgh.14664. Epub 2019 Apr 11.

Abstract

Background and aim: Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a common disease caused by reflux of gastric contents to the esophagus. Proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs) are recommended as a first-line therapy to treat GERD. Recently, a new potassium-competitive acid blocker, vonoprazan, was launched in Japan. We aimed to evaluate the comparative efficacy of vonoprazan and other PPIs in healing GERD.

Methods: We used MEDLINE and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials to search the literature. Double-blind randomized controlled trials for PPIs and/or vonoprazan that were published in English or Japanese and assessed healing effects in adult GERD patients were included. To estimate the comparative efficacy of treatments, we performed a Bayesian network meta-analysis to assess the consistency assumption.

Results: Of 4001 articles identified in the database, 42 studies were eligible. One study was hand-searched and added to the analysis. For the main analysis of healing effects at 8 weeks, odds ratios (ORs) of vonoprazan (20 mg daily) to esomeprazole (20 mg), rabeprazole (20 mg), lansoprazole (30 mg), and omeprazole (20 mg) were 2.29 (95% credible interval, 0.79-7.06), 3.94 (1.15-14.03), 2.40 (0.90-6.77), and 2.71 (0.98-7.90), respectively. Subgroup analysis for patients with severe esophagitis at baseline showed significantly higher ORs for vonoprazan versus most of the comparator PPIs.

Conclusions: This analysis shows that the GERD healing effect of vonoprazan is higher than that of rabeprazole (20 mg) but not higher than other PPIs. Subgroup analysis indicated that vonoprazan is more effective than most PPIs for patients with severe erosive esophagitis.

Keywords: esophagus; gastric secretion; gastroesophagus reflux disease.

Publication types

  • Meta-Analysis
  • Systematic Review

MeSH terms

  • Bayes Theorem
  • Esophagitis, Peptic / diagnosis
  • Esophagitis, Peptic / drug therapy*
  • Esophagitis, Peptic / physiopathology
  • Gastroesophageal Reflux / diagnosis
  • Gastroesophageal Reflux / drug therapy*
  • Gastroesophageal Reflux / physiopathology
  • Humans
  • Network Meta-Analysis
  • Patient Selection
  • Proton Pump Inhibitors / adverse effects
  • Proton Pump Inhibitors / therapeutic use*
  • Pyrroles / adverse effects
  • Pyrroles / therapeutic use*
  • Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
  • Remission Induction
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • Sulfonamides / adverse effects
  • Sulfonamides / therapeutic use*
  • Time Factors
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Wound Healing / drug effects*

Substances

  • 1-(5-(2-fluorophenyl)-1-(pyridin-3-ylsulfonyl)-1H-pyrrol-3-yl)-N-methylmethanamine
  • Proton Pump Inhibitors
  • Pyrroles
  • Sulfonamides