Eisai Co Ltd. has announced that the company's proton pump inhibitor Pariet tablets 10mg (generic name: rabeprazole sodium), in combination with the antibiotics amoxicillin and clarithromycin, has received an approval in Japan for a new indication to eradicate Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection related to gastric/duodenal ulcers.

H pylori is a type of bacterium in the human stomach and is commonly associated with peptic ulcers. Pariet, in combination with certain antibiotics, has been shown to eradicate H pylori, thereby reducing the risk for ulcer recurrence. The drug, in combination with certain antibiotics, is also indicated for H pylori eradication in the US and Europe.

In clinical trials involving gastric/duodenal ulcer and gastroesophageal reflux disease, Pariet was proven efficacious for fast and reliable inhibition of gastric acid secretion.

Eisai originally introduced the drug in Japan in 1997, followed by the launch in Europe in 1998 and in the United States in 1999 (with its US brand name, AcipHex). The drug is marketed in 79 countries around the world.

Eisai hopes that this new approved indication will increase the clinical value of Pariet, thereby further improving patients' quality of life, as well as enhancing the treatment of acid-related disease.