Review
Nature Reviews Drug Discovery 2, 132-139 (February 2003) | doi:10.1038/nrd1010
Article series: Case Histories
A proton-pump inhibitor expedition: the case histories of omeprazole and esomeprazole
Lars Olbe1, Enar Carlsson1 & Per Lindberg1 About the authors
Abstract
Thirty years ago, disorders associated with inappropriate levels of gastric acid were a major problem for which treatment options were limited, and approaches to the control of gastric acid secretion were thus the focus of considerable drug discovery efforts. Here, we summarize how one such programme led to the development of the proton-pump inhibitor omeprazole (Losec, Prilosec), a conceptually new drug that proved clinically superior to previous antisecretory drugs in the treatment of acid-related disorders, and which became the world's best-selling drug in the late 1990s. We then describe how the antisecretory and clinical effects were further improved by the development of esomeprazole (Nexium), a single enantiomer of omeprazole, which was launched in 2000.
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Author affiliations
- AstraZeneca R&D, 431 83 Mölndal, Sweden.
Correspondence to: Lars Olbe1 Email: lars.olbe@astrazeneca.com
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