Voquezna is a potassium-competitive acid blocker (P-CAB), the first one approved for the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and erosive esophagitis. It can help heal the damage caused by stomach acid in the esophagus and relieve heartburn symptoms. Voquezna is also used with antibiotics to treat Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infections that can lead to stomach inflammation and pain.
How Does Voquezna Work?
Voquezna works by blocking potassium from binding to acid-producing proton pumps in the stomach. This prevents the pumps from producing acid. Lowering acid in the stomach can help prevent heartburn symptoms related to GERD or erosive esophagitis. It will also allow the lining of the esophagus to heal.
How Do I Take Voquezna?
Voquezna is an oral tablet that is taken once daily for GERD or erosive esophagitis and twice daily for H. pylori. Voquezna can be taken with or without food.
Your doctor will tell you how long you will take Voquezna. The treatment duration may be as short as two weeks or it may be up to six months. The duration of treatment depends on why you are taking the medicine.
If you are taking Voquezna for H. pylori, you must also take antibiotics such as amoxicillin or clarithromycin.
How Was Voquezna Studied?
Voquezna has been studied for erosive esophagitis, GERD without damage (erosion) to the esophagus, and with antibiotics for H. pylori.
Erosive esophagitis. Voquezna was studied in over 1,000 adults with erosive esophagitis. The study evaluated how many people healed by week eight when taking Voquezna compared to another acid-reducing medicine, lansoprazole (Prevacid). About 93% of people treated with Voquezna healed, compared to about 85% of people treated with lansoprazole. A second part of the study known as the maintenance phase included people who healed by week eight. These people continued to receive treatment with either Voquezna or lansoprazole for up to six months. Most people maintained healing up to six months when treated with Voquezna or lansoprazole. People treated with Voquezna were heartburn-free on over 65% of the days during the healing phase and over 80% of the days during the maintenance phase.
GERD without erosion. Voquezna was studied in 772 adults with GERD who did not have erosions but had heartburn at least four days per week. Symptoms and severity of the heartburn were tracked in a diary. During the first four weeks of the trial, about 45% of the days were spent heartburn-free in people who received Voquezna. About 28% of days were heartburn-free in people who received a placebo treatment (containing no medicine). Voquezna continued to control heartburn for an additional 20 weeks of treatment in this study.
H. pylori. Voquezna was studied in over 1,000 adults with H. pylori infections. Voquezna was combined with an antibiotic regimen of either amoxicillin alone or amoxicillin and clarithromycin for 14 days and compared with another regimen (lansoprazole plus clarithromycin and amoxicillin). The study looked at how well the treatments got rid of (eradicated) the H. pylori bacteria. Voquezna plus amoxicillin and clarithromycin got rid of the bacteria in about 85% of people, which was similar to Voquezna plus amoxicillin and lansoprazole plus amoxicillin and clarithromycin where about 79% of people got rid of the bacteria.
Your results may differ from what was seen in clinical studies.
How Long Does It Take for It to Work?
Voquezna begins to work quickly, with about 70% of people with erosive esophagitis healing by the second week of treatment. You may have less heartburn as early as the first day you take Voquezna.
Will I Need Any Monitoring or Blood Tests Before or During Treatment?
Voquezna may lower the amount of magnesium in your blood, causing a condition called hypomagnesemia. Your health care provider may monitor the amount of magnesium in your blood before starting treatment with Voquezna and periodically during Voquezna treatment. Low magnesium levels may lead to low calcium in your blood. Your health care provider may check the calcium level in your blood before and during treatment. You may need treatment with magnesium or calcium supplements if you have low magnesium or calcium in your blood.
Are There Any Interactions With Other Medicines?
Voquezna lowers stomach acid and may affect how some medicines are absorbed. Examples of medicines that may be affected include antiretroviral drugs used for HIV and antifungal drugs used for fungal infections such as itraconazole (Sporanox, Tolsura) and ketoconazole. You should not take any product containing rilpivirine (an antiretroviral) with Voquezna. Other antiretrovirals such as atazanavir and nelfinavir are also not recommended to be used with Voquezna. Voquezna may make these medicines less effective for HIV.
Voquezna inhibits CYP3A and CYP2C19. This may affect the blood levels of some medicines.
- Clopidogrel (Plavix) may be less effective as an antiplatelet drug when used with Voquezna.
- The blood levels of cilostazol and citalopram (Celexa) may be higher, which may increase the risk of side effects of these drugs.
Some medicines may affect the blood levels of Voquezna. Medicines called CYP3A4 inducers (such as rifampin) can lower the levels of Voquezna in your blood, and it may not work as well.
This is not a complete list of interactions. Tell your pharmacist or health care provider about all the prescription or over-the-counter (OTC) medicines, vitamins/minerals, herbal products, or other supplements you take or have recently taken. This will help them determine if there are any interactions with Voquezna, or if you need a dosage adjustment.
Is There Any Cost Assistance Available?
There may be cost assistance to help you afford Voquezna. There is a savings card available from the manufacturer that may allow you to pay as little as $25. You may have options even if you do not have health insurance. You can contact 833-366-7149 or voquezna.com/savings for more information.
