Vonoprazan‐Amoxicillin Dual Therapy Versus Drug Sensitivity‐Based Individualized Therapy as a Rescue Regimen for Helicobacter pylori Infection: A Multicenter, Randomized Controlled Trial

OBJECTIVE: Vonoprazan is a novel potassium-competitive acid blocker (P-CAB) that offers several advantages, such as fast onset time and strong acid inhibition, in the treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy, adverse reactions, and compliance of the 14-day vonoprazan-amoxicillin dual therapy versus drug sensitivity-based individualized therapy in the retreatment of H. pylori infection. METHODS: This multicenter, open-label, randomized, controlled non-inferiority study enrolled 240 adult patients who previously failed anti-H. pylori treatment. These patients were randomly assigned to receive the 14-day vonoprazan-amoxicillin dual therapy or drug sensitivity-based individualized therapy. The primary outcome was the eradication rate, and the secondary outcomes mainly included adverse events, patient compliance, antibiotic resistance rates, and risk factors that affected the eradication rate. RESULTS: The intention-to-treat (ITT) and per-protocol (PP) analyses revealed that the eradication rates for the vonoprazan-amoxicillin dual therapy and drug sensitivity-based individualized therapy were comparably high, with rates of 87.50% and 83.33%, respectively. Furthermore, the vonoprazan-amoxicillin dual therapy fulfilled the criteria for the non-inferiority test, when compared to individualized therapy. The incidence of adverse reactions was significantly lower in the vonoprazan-amoxicillin dual therapy group. Both groups showed similarly good compliance and comparable rates of antibiotic resistance. The previous treatment with a clarithromycin-containing regimen was identified as an independent risk factor for clarithromycin resistance. CONCLUSION: The 14-day vonoprazan-amoxicillin dual therapy exhibits high eradication rates and low incidence of adverse reactions in retreated patients, indicating its effectiveness and safety as a rescue regimen for patients with H. pylori infection.