Esomeprazole
NexiumPubChem CID 9568614 · 3D model
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Shuts down the stomach's acid-producing pumps at the source, cutting acid output more completely than drugs that just block one trigger for acid release.
How it works
Esomeprazole is the active, more potent form of the older drug omeprazole, and it works by shutting off the tiny pumps in the stomach lining that push acid out. The drug only becomes active once it reaches the highly acidic environment right at those pumps, where it locks onto them and turns them off. Because it targets the very last step of acid production, it blocks acid no matter what signal originally told the stomach to make it. The stomach has to build brand-new pumps to start making acid again, which is why the effect lasts well beyond how long the drug itself stays in the blood.
What it’s used for
Used to heal and relieve acid reflux damage to the esophagus and to treat ongoing heartburn and GERD symptoms, in both adults and children. Also used to lower the risk of stomach ulcers in people who take NSAID pain relievers regularly, as part of a combination treatment to clear H. pylori stomach infections, and for long-term management of rare conditions that cause the stomach to make too much acid.
- Mechanism
- Proton pump (H+/K+ ATPase) inhibitor
- Drug class
- Small molecule
- Therapeutic area
- Gastrointestinal