Low-Dose Amoxicillin Dual-Therapy Combined with Licorice and Lotus Root Powder Helicobacter Pylori Treatment

In recent years, the increasing prevalence of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori, Hp) resistance has led to a gradual decline in the eradication rate of Hp. The growing resistance to antibiotics, particularly clarithromycin, has severely impacted the efficacy of Hp eradication. Dual-therapy regimen consisting of a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) and amoxicillin can overcome clarithromycin resistance in Hp and is effective for Hp treatment. Vonoprazan, a novel potassium-competitive acid blocker (P-CAB), has a stronger and more sustained inhibitory effect on gastric acid secretion compared to traditional PPIs. Dual-therapy regimens combining P-CABs and high-dose amoxicillin have demonstrated high eradication rates. However, the adverse effects associated with high-dose amoxicillin, such as nephrotoxicity, limit the application of this regimen. Our recent in vitro bacterial experiments and animal studies have shown that licorice, a traditional Chinese herbal medicine that is also used as a food, can inhibit the growth of Hp. This study is designed to compare a licorice-containing treatment regimen with a low-dose amoxicillin dual-therapy regimen in a clinical RCT to explore the efficacy of the former in Hp infection treatment.