Controlled clinical assessment of the efficacy and tolerance of triletide versus antacids in patients with gastric and duodenal ulcers.

A study was carried out in 30 out-patients with endoscopically confirmed active, benign gastric or duodenal ulceration to assess the comparative effectiveness and tolerance of treatment with triletide, a new synthetic tripeptide with anti-ulcer properties, with that of conventional antacids. Patients were allocated at random to receive treatment with either 1.6 g aluminium hydroxide and 1.6 g magnesium hydroxide per day or the antacids plus 1.5 g triletide per day over a period of 8 weeks. Heartburn and epigastric pain, monitored every other week, were significantly relieved by both treatments, but to a significantly greater extent (70% vs 20% on average, p less than 0.01) and significantly faster (p less than 0.01) in the presence of triletide. Endoscopic control showed that the patients who had triletide experienced complete healing in a significantly greater proportion (73% vs 27%, p less than 0.02) than those who had antacids only. The efficacy of treatments was the same, regardless of the actual ulcer location. Routine haematology and haematochemistry findings were unaffected by either treatment, and subjective possible side-reactions were limited to constipation (9 complaints overall) which is a well-known side-effect of antacid treatment. It would appear, therefore, that triletide is at least as well tolerated as antacids, while promoting the healing of peptic ulcers in a significantly greater proportion of patients and easing symptoms significantly faster and to a greater extent than antacids alone, regardless of the ulcer location.