Aciphex
This article was originally published in The Tan Sheet
Executive Summary
Eisai/Janssen will market the new prescription proton pump inhibitor Aciphex (rabeprazole), which labeling compares to AstraZeneca's Prilosec (omeprazole). The drug, approved Aug. 19, is the third PPI indicated for gastroesophageal reflux disease. An advantage for Aciphex may be its adverse events profile, which shows that only headache (2.4% incidence) occurs at a rate greater than 1% in an analysis of 2,900 patients. As such, Aciphex could have an advantage in any attempt to become an OTC drug. AstraZeneca has a deal with Procter & Gamble for an OTC version of Prilosec