Pantoprazole 40

Pantoprazole, sold under the brand name Protonix among others, is a medication used for the treatment of stomach ulcers, short-term treatment of erosive esophagitis due to gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), maintenance of healing of erosive esophagitis, and pathological hypersecretory conditions including Zollinger–Ellison syndrome. It may also be used along with other medications to eliminate Helicobacter pylori. Effectiveness is similar to other proton pump inhibitors (PPIs). It is available by mouth and by injection into a vein.

Common side effects include headaches, diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and joint pain. More serious side effects may include severe allergic reactions, a type of chronic inflammation known as atrophic gastritis, Clostridium difficile colitis, low magnesium, and vitamin B12 deficiency. Use in pregnancy appears to be safe. Pantoprazole is a proton pump inhibitor that decreases gastric acid secretion. It works by inactivating (H+/K+)-ATPase function in the stomach.

Study of pantoprazole began in 1985, and it came into medical use in Germany in 1994. It is available as a generic medication. As of 2018, the wholesale cost of the pills in the United States is less than US$0.10 per dose. In the United Kingdom, this amount costs less than 0.05 pounds, while the intravenous formulation costs about five pounds per dose. In 2017, it was the 19th most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 27 million prescriptions.