Millions of Americans currently take acid reflux or ulcer medications.
Over half of all medications including many acid reflux and ulcer medications, such as Prilosec® (omeprazole) and Nexium® (esomeprazole), are metabolized by two enzymes found primarily in the liver called CYP3A4 and CYP2C19.[1,18]
Population Frequency of Cytochrome P450 (CYP) Metabolizer Types [5]
| Poor (no or low enzyme levels) |
Intermediate(reduced enzyme levels) | Normal (normal enzyme levels) | Rapid or Ultra Rapid Metabolizer(high enzyme levels) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CYP2C9 | 3% | 30% | 68% | N/A |
| CYP2C19* | 2-20% | 24-36% | 14-44% | 30% |
*CYP2C19 variability depends on ethnicity.