If you have gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD (a condition where stomach acid periodically flows back up into the esophagus, causing heartburn and other symptoms), you are aware that managing this chronic illness requires a multifaceted approach. Lifestyle modifications, such as losing weight and avoiding certain foods, may be all you need to do. Despite lifestyle modifications, uncomfortable symptoms frequently reoccur; fortunately, there are several helpful treatments available.
However, a new class of medications known as potassium-competitive acid blockers, or P-CABs, “offers a helpful alternative” if you do not get enough relief from conventional treatments, particularly if you have severe or frequent GERD symptoms or if years of reflux have damaged your esophagus, according to Dr. Lawrence S. Friedman, chair of the Department of Medicine at Newton-Wellesley Hospital and a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.
The application of P-CABs
Vonoprazan (Voquezna), the only P-CAB currently marketed in the US, is prescription-only and approved for the treatment of the following disorders in adults.