Omeprazole

OMEPRAZOLE is the first of a new class of drugs that inhibit gastric secretion by altering the activity of H+/K+—ATPase,1 2 3 the final common step of acid secretion, in gastric parietal cells. The discovery of omeprazole has led to new insights into the mechanism of gastric secretion, knowledge of the genesis of certain gastrointestinal tumors, and the development of new treatments for acid-peptic diseases. In the United States, omeprazole has been approved only for short-term use in certain patients with reflux esophagitis and for patients with the Zollinger—Ellison syndrome, because of concerns raised by the results of long-term studies of toxicity . . .