Rabeprazole

Abstract

Rabeprazole is a proton pump inhibitor that suppresses gastric acid production in the stomach. Available under different brand name products as well as in a variety of combination products, rabeprazole has several medical uses concerning the management of problems of pathological gastric acid. Rabeprazole's adverse effects tend to be mild but can be serious, including deficiencies in essential nutrients, rare incidences of liver damage, and immune-mediated reactions. As a class effect, rabeprazole can increase the risk for osteoporosis, serious infections (including Clostridium difficile infections), and kidney damage. Rabeprazole can theoretically contribute to numerous drug interactions, mediated both through its metabolic properties and its direct effect on acid in the stomach, though its potential for clinically meaningful drug interactions is low. Like other medications in the proton pump inhibitor class, rabeprazole's mechanism of action involves the irreversible inhibition of proton pumps in the stomach, which are responsible for gastric acid production. Rabeprazole has a number of chemical metabolites, though it is primarily degraded by non-enzymatic metabolism and excreted in the urine. Genetic differences in a person's drug-metabolizing enzymes may theoretically affect individual responses to rabeprazole therapy, though the clinical significance of this interaction is unlikely in comparison to other proton pump inhibitors. The purpose of this review is to provide an up-to-date monograph on rabeprazole.