A randomized, controlled, multicenter trial was conducted to ascertain the effects of ranitidine in comparison with famotidine on the quality of gastric ulcer healing.

Higuchi and colleagues randomized 69 consecutive patients with gastric ulcers into two groups: 34 patients received ranitidine while 35 were given famotidine for 12 weeks. Endoscopic assessment of the quality of gastric ulcer healing as well as histological assessment of the gastric mucosa were done 12 weeks after treatment initiation.

• Ulcer healing rates of more than 95% were found to be similar in the two groups.
• The rate of ulcer scars with a flat pattern, which represents good-quality healing, were significantly higher in the group that received ranitidine, compared to the famotidine group (per protocol, 63.0% compared to 34.5%, p = 0.033).
• The neutrophil infiltration score in the body mucosa treated with famotidine increased significantly, but not with ranitidine.
• The mononuclear cell infiltration score in the antral mucosa treated with ranitidine decreased significantly, but not with famotidine.

It was concluded that initial treatment with ranitidine resulted in a significant improvement in the quality of gastric ulcer healing and the histological scores of gastric mucosa, when compared with famotidine.

Source: Higuchi K, Watanabe T, Tominaga K, et al. Effects of ranitidine on quality of gastric ulcer healing compared with famotidine: a randomized, controlled, multicenter trial. Int J Clin Pharmacol Res. 2005;25(4):187-94.