Emerging therapeutic options in GERD

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a prevalent problem resulting in a high level of healthcare consultation and expenditure in the Western World. Although standard medical therapy (in the form of proton pump inhibitor drugs) is effective in the majority of cases, there remains a significant proportion who are refractory to treatment. In addition, surgical therapy (in the form of laparoscopic fundoplication) is not always effective, and in some can be associated with significant side-effects, particularly gas-bloat, flatulence and dysphagia.As such there remains an unmet need in GERD to develop new therapies for refractory cases, and to develop alternatives to fundoplication with fewer side-effects.This article discusses the current state of pharmacological and non-pharmacological emerging therapies for GERD.