Novel Therapies for Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease: Beyond Proton Pump Inhibitors

Abstract

Purpose of review: Despite the many areas of unmet needs in gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) remain the cornerstone of medical therapy. However, since their introduction, the therapeutic limitations of PPIs in GERD management have been increasingly recognized.

Recent findings: In this review we discuss the new medical, endoscopic, and surgical therapeutic modalities that have been developed over the last decade. They include the potassium-competitive acid blockers (P-CABs) which provide a rapid onset, prolonged, and profound acid suppression, mucosal protectants which promote the physiological protective barrier of the esophageal mucosa, new prokinetics and neuromodulators. There are growing numbers of novel therapeutic endoscopic techniques that are under investigation or were recently introduced into the market, further expanding our therapeutic armamentarium for GERD. The development of diverse therapeutic modalities for GERD, despite the availability of PPIs, suggests that there are many areas of unmet need in GERD that will continue and drive future exploration for novel therapies.

Keywords: Gastroesophageal reflux disease; Heartburn; Lower esophageal sphincter; Neuromodulators; Proton pump; Proton pump inhibitor.