Zegerid study finds acid control edge
This article was originally published in The Tan Sheet
Executive Summary
Merck Consumer Care's proton pump inhibitor Zegerid OTC (omeprazole/sodium bicarbonate) is clinically shown to offer "greater and faster acid control" after seven days of treatment than Prevacid 24HR (lansoprazole), Merck says. However, this does not translate to faster heartburn symptom relief than Novartis' PPI, Merck added in a May 4 release. Despite being the only dual-ingredient OTC PPI on the market, Zegerid OTC does not tout clinical superiority over Prevacid 24HR or Procter & Gamble's Prilosec OTC (omeprazole) (1"The Tan Sheet" Dec. 7, 2009). Merck declined to comment on whether it will use the study results in labeling or marketing