To Assess the Efficacy of Esomeprazole 40 mg Once Daily in Subjects Who Still Had Heartburn After Receiving Rabeprazole

An 8-week, Open Label, Multicentre Study to Assess the Efficacy of Esomeprazole 40 mg Once Daily in Subjects With Continuing Symptoms of Heartburn Following Treatment With a Previous Rabeprazole.

Administration of esomeprazole 40 mg to subjects who still had heartburn after receiving rabeprazole 20 mg once daily for 4 to 8 weeks will result in statistically significant improvement of heartburn after 8-week treatment.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Male or female aged 20 years or more
• Documented history of reflux esophagitis verified by endoscopy in the past, including the grade of Los Angeles (LA) classification (Lundell LR et al 1999) before treatment
• Ongoing (until date of Visit 1) treatment with rabeprazole 20 mg, given once daily, for a period of 4 to 8 weeks. The subject must take Rabeprazole at least 4 days a week in the past 7 days prior to Visit 1.
• Persisting symptoms of heartburn during the past 7 days prior to Visit 1, judged by the investigator(s) as follows: At least 2 days with moderate (i.e. discomfort sufficient to cause interference with normal activities) to severe symptoms (i.e. incapacitating, with inability to perform normal activities) OR At least 4 days with symptoms including mild ones (i.e. awareness of sign or symptom, but easily tolerated).
• The subject needs to be able to understand and read the official languages of the country.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Use of other PPIs and/or H2RA during rabeprazole treatment
• Previous use of esomeprazole 40 mg during the 12 weeks before enrolment
• Current or historical evidence of gastrointestinal pathology
• History, signs or symptoms of clinically significant or uncontrolled cardiovascular, pulmonary, renal, endocrine, hematologic, neurologic, psychiatric pancreatic or hepatic disease as judged by the investigator to interfere with the conduct of the study, the interpretation of study results, subject compliance, or the health of the subject during the study.
• Documented upper gastrointestinal surgery such as gastric resection, vagotomy and/or pyloroplasty, hiatus hernia surgery or fundoplication. Note: endoscopic polypectomy, endoscopic mucosal resection, endoscopic submucosal dissection or simple suturing of an ulcer are not exclusion criteria.