Ilaprazole for the Treatment of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) in Chinese Patients

Inclusion Criteria: * Consenting patients will be eligible for enrollment if they: * are 18-70 years of age, * have at least one of the two symptoms, heartburn and reflux, * have photographically documented erosive esophagitis confirmed by esophagogastroduodenoscopy(EGD), and graded according to the Los Angeles (LA) Classification (A-D), within 5 days before randomization to treatment. Female patients are required to be nonpregnant, nonlactating, postmenopausal, surgically sterilized, or using a medically acceptable form of birth control, as determined by the investigator. Women of child- bearing potential will receive a pregnancy test. Exclusion Criteria: * Patients will be ineligible if they: * have cancerous or peptic ulcers, Zollinger-Ellison syndrome, varices of esophagus or fundus of stomach * have a known history of gastric acid suppression operation, esophageal operation or peptic operation other than simple closure of perforation, * have severe complications, severe other diseases of digestive tract such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, and severe other systemic diseases, * have taken proton pump inhibitors within the 5 days or for more than three consecutive days within the two weeks immediately preceding start of study drug, * participated in a clinical trial with an investigational drug or device within the past three months, * have hypersensitivity or idiosyncratic reaction to ilaprazole, esomeprazole or any other benzimidazole, * have alcoholic intemperance, drug addiction or any other improper habits.