Ten RCTs evaluating 11 comparisons that assessed healing were identified. There were 8 trials of comparisons of lansoprazole with other acid suppressant drugs: 3 of lansoprazole versus ranitidine, 1 versus famotidine (342 active participants and 251 control participants), and 4 versus omeprazole (939 active participants and 951 control participants). There were also 3 trials that focused on comparing two dosages of lansoprazole (164 participants received 30 mg/day and 163 participants received 60 mg/day).
Three studies were identified which evaluated relapse: 2 comparing two different doses of lansoprazole (109 participants received 15 mg and 105 participants receveived 30 mg), versus placebo (102 participants), and one versus ranitidine (235 evaluable patients).
The pooled OR for healing was 6.3 (95% CI: 4.2, 9.4) for lansaprazole versus the H2-receptor antagonists (ranitidine and famotidine).
No significant difference in healing was observed between lansoprazole and omeprazole in the 4 studies that directly compared the two proton-pump inhibitors (OR 1.1, 95% CI: 0.9, 1.4).
There was no difference in healing in the 3 studies that compared two different doses (30 versus 60 mg) of lansoprazole (OR 1.4, 95% CI: 0.6, 3.2). Treatment with lansoprazole was associated with a marked reduction in the incidence of relapses at 1 year. The pooled OR for relapse was 0.09 (95% CI: 0.05, 0.17) for lansoprazole (15 mg) versus placebo, 0.07 (95% CI: 0.04, 0.13) for lansoprazole (30 mg) versus placebo, and 0.08 (95% CI: 0.05, 0.14) for the two dosages of lansoprazole combined together and compared with placebo.
A study of lansoprazole (15 or 30 mg) versus ranitidine (600 mg/day) in the maintenance treatment of reflux oesophagitis for 12 months found that both the 15 and 30 mg doses of lansoprazole were significantly superior to ranitidine; there was evidence of relapse in 31.4% (27 out of 86), 20% (15 out of 75), and 67.6% (50 out of 74) of the patients, respectively.