First immediate-release PPI hits pharmacy shelves

For well over a decade, proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) have been considered the first-line treatment for gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD. In 2003, U.S. sales of the five delayed-release PPI brands totaled $12.9 billion, with total U.S. prescriptions for PPIs growing 10%, from 86.3 million in 2002 to 95.2 million in 2003, according to IMS Health.