Title:  Digestive enzyme-containing medicament

United States Patent:  6,013,680

Assignee:  Amano Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (Aichi, JP)

Filed:  October 21, 1998

To provide a medicament that can be used as a drug for the effective treatment of gastric ulcers, duodenal ulcers and like diseases of the digestive tract. The medicament comprises a combination of at least one agent selected from the group consisting of histamine H₂ receptor antagonists and proton pump inhibitors, and a digestive enzyme.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

With the aim of resolving the aforementioned problems, the inventors of the present invention have conducted intensive studies and developed the invention as a result of their efforts. The present invention provides a medicament which can maintain normal digestion in the stomach and prevent the inhibition of such digestive functions by an H₂ blocker or PPI, through the joint use of an H₂ blocker and/or PPI with a digestive enzyme which functions in the stomach. In addition, since the pH value in the stomach is increased by an H₂ blocker or PPI, activities of various digestive enzymes which show insufficient actions at the normal gastric pH can be improved.

Since peptic ulcer is induced by the autolytic action of gastric juices, it has been hypothesized that the action of digestive enzymes, particularly a protease, in the stomach would cause a worsening of the ulcer. However, according to the studies conducted by the present inventors, it was unexpectedly found that the digestion of food in the stomach can be carried out without a worsening of the ulcer when a digestive enzyme specified in the present invention is used so that absorption of nutritive components from the digestive tract can be enhanced.

The present invention is a medicament in which at least an H₂ blocker and/or PPI together with a digestive enzyme are used in combination as active ingredients. The medicament of the present invention exerts a therapeutic effect on ulcers and can maintain the normal digestive function of food in the stomach and, also, prevent the inhibition of the digestive functions of the stomach by H₂ blocker or PPI used alone.

Claim 1 of 9 Claims

1. A pharmaceutical agent consisting essentially of a digestive enzyme and at least one agent selected from the group consisting of histamine H₂ receptor antagonists and proton pump inhibitors.

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