A new treatment for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) has proved promising in initial studies, Mederi Therapeutics Inc. announced last week.
Researchers found that Stretta Treatment, which involves delivery of radiofrequency energy to the LES and gastric cardia, reduces reflux, according to PR Newswire.
"In this double-blind, sham-controlled study, our data confirms that Stretta improves the physiology of the lower esophageal sphincter, and that this is the likely mechanism for symptom improvement in GERD," one of the study's authors, Jan Tack, M.D., Ph.D., told PR Newswire. "In addition to the noted effectiveness of the Stretta treatment, we believe that the method we employed in the study was able to exclude fibrosis as the underlying cause of the observed significant decrease in GEJ compliance."
Stretta, which has been shown to be safe in multiple clinical studies, is much less invasive than other treatments for GERD.
"These results add to the significant body of research on Stretta. The treatment works exceptionally well to reduce or eliminate symptoms in sufferers of GERD, but exactly how it works is now more clearly understood," Will Rutan, CEO of Mederi Therapeutics, which manufactures Stretta, told PR Newswire. "With 67 publications supporting Stretta as a safe, effective, and durable treatment, Stretta offers an excellent alternative to invasive surgery."
The study was published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology, PR Newswire reports. The full report is available at this link: http://www.nature.com/ajg/journal/vaop/ncurrent/abs/ajg2011395a.html.
