New treatment for frequent heartburn

New treatment option for frequent heartburn

(Product information in this article is intended for US residents only.)

More than 50 million Americans adults suffer from frequent heartburn. Painful symptoms can disrupt their lives. Now Novartis brings sufferers Prevacid®24HR, a new way to treat frequent heartburn over-the-counter.

Many adults have experienced the discomfort of heartburn, a burning sensation resulting from stomach acid backing up into the esophagus. Symptoms can include:

• Pain in the chest or throat
• A sour or bitter taste
• Difficulty swallowing
• Chronic coughing or asthma-like symptoms.

Frequent heartburn (heartburn occurring two or more days per week) can seriously hinder a person’s quality of life. And more than 50 million American adults suffer from frequent heartburn.

Novartis Consumer Health is empowering people who suffer from frequent heartburn by introducing Prevacid®24HR (lansoprazole delayed-release capsules 15 mg/acid reducer), the first and only Proton Pump Inhibitor (PPI) to be offered over-the-counter for the treatment of frequent heartburn in its original formulation.

Frequent heartburn can affect quality of life

Frequent heartburn is more than uncomfortable. It can also affect the sufferer’s ability to get a good night’s sleep, be productive at work, have positive personal relationships and enjoy social activities (according to a 2009 study of health outcomes).¹

A study of the experience of 1,075 frequent heartburn sufferers showed:

A recent study of the experience of more than 1,000 frequent heartburn sufferers was funded by Novartis Consumer Health. Among a subset of sufferers from that study with moderate to severe frequent heartburn, it was found that frequent heartburn can seriously interfere with daily life:

• Two-thirds say the pain has kept them from doing the kinds of things their peers do
• More than half say it has affected their sex lives
• 44 percent link heartburn to some family relationship problems.

“Until now, frequent heartburn has been largely misunderstood in America. This study confirms how frequent heartburn can affect many sufferers’ daily lives – it can interrupt their work, social activities and a full night’s sleep,” said Dr. Brian Fennerty, professor of Medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology at Oregon Health & Science University, who consulted on the study.

Consumers gain effective round-the-clock relief

Now sufferers have a readily available new option to treat frequent heartburn in the US: Prevacid®24HR, one of a newer class of acid-reducer medicines called Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs), is clinically proven to treat frequent heartburn for a full 24 hours. It works by stopping the release of acid into the stomach, while leaving enough to promote digestion.

One Prevacid®24HR pill a day for 14 days provides frequent heartburn sufferers more heartburn-free days and nights than placebo, clinical studies show. As with all over-the-counter PPIs, although some people get complete relief within 24 hours, it may take one to four days for full effect.

“Providing over-the-counter access to this very effective treatment for frequent heartburn is a milestone for adults who suffer from this condition.”

Dirk Van de Put, Global Head of OTC (Over-the-Counter) Business Unit for Novartis Consumer Health, said.