Summary
Some of the problems involved in the treatment and evaluation of drug therapy in peptic ulceration are discussed. The results of four multi-centre, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials in 520 patients are reviewed. It has been shown that the potent suppressors of gastric acid secretion, histamine H2-blockers ranitidine and cimetidine, and 16, 16-dimethyl prostaglandin E2. significantly accelerated the healing of peptic ulcers but that trithiozine had no beneficial effect.