Efficacy and safety of tegoprazan (LXI-15028) vs. esomeprazole in patients with erosive esophagitis: A multicenter, randomized, double-blind, non-inferiority phase Ⅲ trial

Abstract Background: An evidence gap still exists regarding the efficacy and safety of tegoprazan in Chinese patients with erosive esophagitis (EE) in China. This study aimed to verify the efficacy and safety of tegoprazan vs . esomeprazole in patients with EE in China. Methods: This study was a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, parallel, active-controlled, non-inferiority phase III trial of patients with EE randomized 1:1 to tegoprazan 50 mg/day vs . esomeprazole 40 mg/day. This study was conducted in 32 sites between October 24, 2018 and October 18, 2019. The primary endpoint was the cumulative endoscopic healing rate at week 8. The secondary endpoint included endoscopic healing rate at week 4, changes in the reflux disease questionnaire (RDQ) and gastroesophageal reflux disease health-related quality of life (GERD-HRQL) scores, and symptom improvement. Results: A total of 261 patients were randomized: 132 to the tegoprazan group and 129 to the esomeprazole group. The cumulative endoscopic healing rate at 8 weeks in the tegoprazan group was non-inferior to that of the esomeprazole group (91.1% vs . 92.8%, difference: −1.7, 95% confidence interval [CI]: −8.5, 5.0, P = 0.008). There were no statistically significant differences in the changes in RDQ (total, severity, and frequency) and GERD-HRQL scores between the two groups (all P >0.05). The percentages of days without symptoms, including daytime and nighttime symptoms based on patients’ diaries, were similar between the two groups (all P >0.05). In the tegoprazan and esomeprazole groups, 71.5% (93/130) and 61.7% (79/128) of the participants reported adverse events (AEs), 2.3% and 0 experienced serious AEs, while 70.0% and 60.2% had treatment-emergent AEs, respectively. Conclusion: Tegoprazan 50 mg/day demonstrated non-inferior efficacy in healing EE, symptom improvement, and quality of life, and it has similar tolerability compared with esomeprazole 40 mg/day. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03615677.