The world's largest selling medicine prescribed by doctors to treat one of the most common conditions to afflict mankind, is about to be overshadowed with the introduction of a better alternative, esomeprazole. The condition comes under a little-known name - gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD). To most of us it is more familiar in such terms as heartburn (a burning feeling rising from the stomach or lower chest up towards the neck) and indigestion, but for sufferers it can have a marked effect on how they live day-to-day. This new medicine may allow sufferers to take back control of their symptoms and they may no longer have to be tied to a routine of taking a tablet every day, as esomeprazole has been shown to quickly and effectively control symptoms when heartburn occurs. In clinical studies of patients with GORD, * after six months treatment, approximately 90 per cent of patients were able to control symptoms effectively by taking a daily dose of esomeprazole 20 mg as and when needed for heartburn relief.