Leading gastroenterologists from around the world recently convened to present new clinical and research findings and share their experiences at the Gastro 2013 Asian Pacific Digestive Week/World Congress of Gastroenterology (APDW/WCOG), held September 21 to 24, 2013, in Shanghai, China, with the goal of developing best practices in this medical field. Gastro 2013 was the largest gastroenterology-based meeting ever held in the Asia Pacific and was attended by over 6,000 participants.

A key topic of discussion was the eradication of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection—an important causal factor of peptic ulcer disease (PUD) and gastric cancer. Different treatment strategies have been proposed to improve the efficacy of H. pylori eradication in the face of ever increasing antibiotic resistance worldwide. Here we discuss these treatment strategies, with a particular focus on current knowledge and insights on the use of levofloxacin (Cravit®, Daiichi Sankyo) in the eradication of H. pylori.

• H. pylori eradication: Efficacy of levofloxacin-based triple therapy as a second-line treatment after triple therapy failure
• Q&A with Professor Varocha Mahachai—Strategies and treatment options in combating H. pylori antibiotic resistance
• Helicobacter pylori antibiotic resistance and eradication therapies—selected posters and oral presentations at the Gastro 2013 APDW/WCOG