Efficacy and safety of high-dose esomeprazole–amoxicillin dual therapy for Helicobacter pylori rescue treatment:a multicenter,prospective,randomized,controlled trial

Background:High-dose dual therapy(HDDT)with proton pump inhibitors(PPIs)and amoxicillin has attracted widespread attention due to its favorable efficacy in eradicating Helicobacter pylori(H.pylori).This study aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of high-dose PPI-amoxicillin dual therapy and bismuth-containing quadruple therapy for H.pylori rescue treatment.Methods:This was a prospective,randomized,multicenter,non-inferiority trial.Patients recruited from eight centers who had failed previous treatment were randomly(1:1)allocated to two eradication groups:HDDT(esomeprazole 40 mg and amoxicillin 1000 mg three times daily;theHDDTgroup)and bismuth-containing quadruple therapy(esomeprazole 40 mg,bismuth potassium citrate 220 mg,and furazolidone 100 mg twice daily,combined with tetracycline 500 mg three times daily;the tetracycline,furazolidone,esomeprazole,and bismuth[TFEB]group)for 14 days.The primary endpoint was the H.pylori eradication rate.The secondary endpoints were adverse effects,symptom improvement rates,and patient compliance.Results:A total of 658 patients who met the criteria were enrolled in this study.The HDDT group achieved eradication rates of 75.4%(248/329),81.0%(248/306),and 81.3%(248/305)asdetermined by the intention-to-treat(ITT),modified intention-totreat(MITT),and per-protocol(PP)analyses,respectively.The eradication rates were similar to those in the TFEB group:78.1%(257/329),84.2%(257/305),and 85.1%(257/302).The lower 95%confidence interval boundary(9.19%in the ITT analysis,9.21%in the MITT analysis,and9.73%in the PP analysis)was greater than the predefined non-inferiority margin of10%,establishing a non-inferiority of the HDDT group vs.the TFEB group.The incidence of adverse events in the HDDT group was significantly lower than that in the TFEB group(11.1%vs.26.8%,P<0.001).Symptom improvement rates and patients’compliance were similar between the two groups.Conclusions:Fourteen-day HDDT is non-inferior to bismuth-containing quadruple therapy,with fewer adverse effects and good treatment compliance,suggesting HDDT as an alternative for H.pylori rescue treatment in the local region.Trial registration:Clinicaltrials.gov,NCT04678492.