Pantoprazole

Pantoprazole (sold under various brand names including Somac, Pantoloc, Protium, Pantecta, Protonix, and Pantoheal) is a proton pump inhibitor drug that inhibits gastric acid secretion.

Use
Pantoprazole is used for short-term treatment of erosion and ulceration of the esophagus caused by gastroesophageal reflux disease. Initial treatment is generally of eight weeks' duration, after which another eight week course of treatment may be considered if necessary. It can be used as a maintenance therapy for long term use after initial response is obtained.

This medication may affect the results of certain lab tests, such as drug screenings (pantoprazole can cause a false positive for THC, the psychoactive component of cannabis).

Pharmacology
Pantoprazole is metabolized in the liver by the cytochrome P450 system. Metabolism mainly consists of demethylation by CYP2C19 followed by sulfation. Another metabolic pathway is oxidation by CYP3A4. Pantoprazole metabolites are not thought to have any pharmacological significance. Pantoprazole is relatively free of drug interactions; however, it may alter the absorption of other medications that depend on the amount of acid in the stomach, such as ketoconazole or digoxin. Generally inactive at acidic pH of stomach, thus it is usually given with a pro kinetic drug. Pantoprazole binds irreversibly to H+K+ATPase(Proton pumps) and suppresses the secretion of acid. As it binds irreversibly to the pumps, new pumps have to be made before acid production could be resumed. Half life of the drug is approx 24 hours.

Availability
Pantoprazole was developed by Altana (owned by Nycomed) and was licensed in the USA to Wyeth (which was taken over by Pfizer) and is currently marketed under the brand name Protonix by Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories, Pantec by Concept Pharmaceuticals, Somac by Pfizer, API by Vanguard Therapeutics, Astropan by Astron Lifesciences, Fenix by Bosnalijek, Pantecta by Novartis, Pantoloc or Somac by Nycomed, Tecta by Nycomed in Canada, Protium in the UK, Inipomp by Sanofi-Aventis or Eupantol by Nycomed in France, Pantozol by Nycomed in Germany, Pantodac, Perizole by Obsurge Biotech and Pansped in India, Zurcazol in Greece, Protonex by Abdi İbrahim in Turkey, Pantup in Ireland, Pantomed in Belgium, TopZole in South Africa, and as UXL-D in India and Pantid in Bangladesh.It is available by prescription in delayed-release tablets. It is also available for intravenous use.

On 24 December 2007, Teva Pharmaceutical released an AB-rated generic alternative to Protonix. This was followed by generic equivalents from Sun Pharma and Kudco Pharma. Wyeth sued all three for patent infringement and launched its own generic version of Protonix with Nycomed.

On October 18, 2010 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) accepted the filing of an ANDA for a delayed release generic version of Protonix by Canadian company IntelliPharmaCeutics. The combination of domperidone 10 mg and pantoprazole 40 mg is available in India under the brand name Pantazone, Pantop-D, Rantop-D. In Bangladesh Apex Pharma Limited also marketed pantoprazole under the brand name Pantrol.