Poor efficacy (2 of 31 completing participants with H.pylori eradication)

At present, triple therapy is recommended by various guidelines for the treatment of Helicobacter pylori (H.pylori) infection. Recent studies have shown increasing resistance of H.pylori to commonly used antibiotics used in triple therapy. This study explores a non-antibiotic treatment regime for H.pylori that uses lauric acid as the primary anti-microbial agent. The study hypothesis is that Lauric acid works synergistically with omeprazole following administration of a mucolytic agent to kill H.pylori topically in the stomach.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Informed Consent prior to any study procedure
• Age at least 21 years and up to 70 years
• If female of childbearing potential who is sexually active, agrees to use acceptable methods of birth control throughout the study. Acceptable methods of birth control are: hormonal contraceptives (birth control pills), intrauterine device (IUD), diaphragm with spermicide, condom, vasectomy.

Additional Inclusion Criteria for Initial Phase only

• Healthy volunteers - can have gastrointestinal or other symptoms if these do not require medical treatment and are considered by the investigator to be clinically minor and irrelevant to the conduct of the study.
• Positive laboratory serology for H.pylori
• Positive Urea Breath Test for H.pylori
• Willing to undergo two gastroscopy procedures

Additional Inclusion Criteria for Secondary Phase only

• Either healthy volunteers or patients attending gastroenterology outpatient clinic - can have gastrointestinal or other symptoms if these are considered by the investigator to be clinically minor or irrelevant to the conduct of the study.
• Positive diagnosis of current H.pylori infection, as diagnosed by positive Urea Breath Test and at least one of the following: 1) Positive laboratory serology for H.pylori, 2) known positive Campylobacter-like organism (CLO) test or H.pylori culture from a gastroscopy performed in the 1 year prior to Screening.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Pregnant or breast feeding.
• Clinically significant gastric disease, in the opinion of the investigator.
• Significant disease or disorder on general medical examination, in the opinion of the investigator (general, respiratory, cardiovascular, renal, hepatic, neurological, bleeding tendency etc).
• Regular or intermittent use of antibiotics, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), anticoagulants or antiplatelet medications is expected during the trial period.
• Cessation of proton pump inhibitor or H2-blocker therapy for 2 weeks prior to Urea Breath Test is likely to not be in the best interests of the participant.
• Laboratory values on blood testing that are outside of the laboratory normal range and considered clinically relevant by the investigator: the following will be screened Haemoglobin (Hb), bilirubin, aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), serum albumin, Alkaline Phosphatase, Urea, sodium (Na), potassium (K), creatinine (CRE).
• Any contraindication to treatment with omeprazole, N-acetyl cysteine (NAC), or sodium bicarbonate.
• Any evidence of organic or psychiatric disorders likely to result in poor compliance in the opinion of the investigator.
• Previous participation in this trial at any time, or participation in any other clinical trial within the previous 3 months.

From the time of study entry until 30 days after finishing study treatments or until resolution.

Adverse events were recorded by open questioning at study visits, and also recorded if there was any other contact between the participant and the study centre.

The trial has no control group. All participants had current H.pylori infection at study entry. Only two participants had this infection eradicated, making an efficacy control group unnecessary.