Doctors call for innovative drugs for early detection and treatment of HP

The eradication of bacteria is critical for Helicobacter pylori (HP) treatment, as medication resistance will limit the efficacy of treatment and likely worsen the condition.

Doctors are therefore suggesting innovative medicines and treatment regimes to ensure the success of HP's first-time treatment for stomach cancer prevention and control.

HP is an infectious bacterium that is associated with several chronic diseases. It can induce persistent gastritis, peptic ulcers, and stomach cancer. It affects about 46.7 percent of Chinese, and 71.2 percent are family-infected.

"HP treatment can bring about social benefits, like lowering infection sources and family-related sickness, thus gradually dropping the prevalence of stomach cancer," said Dr Zhou Liya of Peking University Third Hospital's digestive disease department.

"We will see the introduction of innovative medicines like vonoprazan fumarate, which can improve the effects of HP eradication by 20 percent compared with traditional medications," she said.

Stomach cancer is the fourth most common cancer in China and the third most deadly. About 12.4 percent of cancer deaths are due to stomach cancer.

China has 780,000 stomach cancers per year, out of which 340,000 are HP-related. Doctors stressed the need for HP infection identification and eradication medication as the first line of treatment for stomach cancer prevention and control.

Takeda announced its innovative vonoprazan fumarate tablet was approved by the National Medical Products Administration in China for its HP eradication indication on Friday.

It is the first bismuth‐containing quadruple therapy for the treatment of HP infection in China, bringing a new weapon against the bacteria in the nation.