Heartburn drug Nexium approved for children

FDA clears liquid and capsules for short-term use in kids ages one to 11

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updated 11:31 a.m. ET Feb. 28, 2008

WASHINGTON - The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved AstraZeneca's Nexium to treat chronic heartburn in children.

The agency cleared two formulations of the drug — liquid and capsule — for short-term use in children one to 11 years old. According to the drug's new labeling, children should not take the drug for more than eight weeks.

FDA previously approved Nexium in the U.S. to treat heartburn in adults and adolescents.

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Nexium was the world's second-best selling drug in 2006, according to health care research firm IMS Health.

The drug is part of a family of acid-reducing drugs known as proton pump inhibitors.

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