Ferric Carboxymaltose as Treatment in Women with Iron-Deficiency Anemia.

Objective. To evaluate safety and efficacy of intravenous ferric carboxymaltose (FCM) versus standard medical care (SMC) for iron-deficiency anemia (IDA) in postpartum women and women with heavy menstrual bleeding. Study Design. This open-label, multicenter study randomized women with IDA (hemoglobin ≤ 11.0 g/dL) to single doses of FCM (15 mg/kg [maximum 1000 mg]) or SMC (this treatment was determined by the investigator and there may have been no treatment). Safety data (primary outcome) were collected for 30 days. Results. Of 2045 subjects enrolled (FCM: n = 1023; SMC: n = 1022), 996 received FCM and 1022 received SMC. At least 1 serious adverse event (AE) was reported by 0.6% and 2.2% of subjects in the FCM and SMC groups, respectively; none were considered treatment related. The difference in serious AEs was primarily due to higher rates of uterine leiomyoma, uterine hemorrhage, and menorrhagia in SMC subjects with heavy menstrual bleeding. Common AEs were generally predictable, with higher rates of infusion site reactions in FCM subjects and gastrointestinal AEs in SMC subjects. Mean hemoglobin increases were greater in the FCM group than the SMC group. Conclusion. FCM was well tolerated and effectively increased mean hemoglobin levels in postpartum women or women with heavy menstrual bleeding and IDA. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT00548860.

Ferric carboxymaltose in patients with iron-deficiency anemia and impaired renal function: the REPAIR-IDA trial.

BACKGROUND: Iron-deficiency anemia in non-dialysis-dependent chronic kidney disease (NDD-CKD) frequently requires parenteral iron replacement, but existing therapies often require multiple administrations. We evaluated the efficacy and cardiovascular safety of ferric carboxymaltose (FCM), a non-dextran parenteral iron permitting large single-dose infusions, versus iron sucrose in patients with iron-deficiency anemia and NDD-CKD. METHODS: A total of 2584 participants were randomized to two doses of FCM 750 mg in one week, or iron sucrose 200 mg administered in up to five infusions in 14 days. The primary efficacy endpoint was the mean change to highest hemoglobin from baseline to Day 56. The primary composite safety endpoint included all-cause mortality, nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke, unstable angina, congestive heart failure, arrhythmias and hyper- and hypotensive events. RESULTS: The mean hemoglobin increase was 1.13 g/dL in the FCM group and 0.92 g/dL in the iron sucrose group (95% CI, 0.13-0.28). Similar results were observed across all subgroups, except Stage 2 CKD. More subjects in the FCM group achieved a hemoglobin increase of ≥ 1.0 g/dL between baseline and Day 56 (48.6 versus 41.0%; 95% CI, 3.6-11.6%). There was no significant difference between FCM and iron sucrose recipients with respect to the primary composite safety endpoint, including the major adverse cardiac events of death, myocardial infarction, or stroke. A significant difference in the number of protocol-defined, predominantly transient hypertensive episodes was observed in the FCM group. CONCLUSIONS: Two 750-mg infusions of FCM are a safe and effective alternative to multiple lower dose iron sucrose infusions in NDD-CKD patients with iron-deficiency anemia.

A multicenter, randomized, active-controlled study to investigate the efficacy and safety of intravenous ferric carboxymaltose in patients with iron deficiency anemia.

BACKGROUND: Many patients receiving oral iron for iron deficiency anemia (IDA) cannot tolerate or fail to respond to therapy, and existing intravenous (IV) iron formulations often require repeated administrations. Ferric carboxymaltose (FCM), a nondextran IV formulation, permits larger single doses. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: We evaluated FCM versus oral iron in IDA patients. After 14 days of oral iron, 507 participants responding inadequately to oral iron (hemoglobin [Hb] increase <1 g/dL; Cohort 1) were assigned to Group A (two doses of FCM, 750 mg, 1 week apart) or Group B (oral iron, 325 mg, 3 × day for 14 additional days). Also, 504 subjects not appropriate for oral iron (Cohort 2) were assigned to Group C (FCM as above) or Group D (standard-of-care IV iron). The primary efficacy endpoint was change to highest observed Hb from baseline to Day 35. The composite safety endpoint included all-cause mortality, nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke, unstable angina, heart failure, arrhythmias, and hyper- or hypotensive events. RESULTS: Mean (± standard deviation [SD]) Hb increase was significantly greater in Group A-FCM than Group B-oral iron: 1.57 (±1.19) g/dL versus 0.80 (±0.80) g/dL (p = 0.001). Post hoc comparison of Group C-FCM and Group D-IV standard of care also demonstrated significant mean (±SD) increase in Hb from baseline to highest value by Day 35 in Group C versus Group D: 2.90 (±1.64) g/dL versus 2.16 (±1.25) g/dL (p = 0.001). Safety endpoints occurred in 17 of 499 (3.4%) participants receiving FCM versus 16 of 498 (3.2%) in comparator groups. CONCLUSION: Two 750-mg FCM infusions are safe and superior to oral iron in increasing Hb levels in IDA patients with inadequate oral iron response.

Direct Comparison of the Safety and Efficacy of Ferric Carboxymaltose versus Iron Dextran in Patients with Iron Deficiency Anemia.

Several intravenous iron complexes are available for the treatment of iron deficiency anemia (IDA). Iron dextran (DEX) is associated with an elevated risk of potentially serious anaphylactic reactions, whereas others must be administered in several small infusions to avoid labile iron reactions. Ferric carboxymaltose (FCM) is a nondextran intravenous iron which can be administered in high single doses. A randomized, open label, and multicenter comparison of FCM to DEX in adults with IDA and baseline hemoglobin of ≤11.0 g/dL was conducted. A total of 160 patients were in the safety population (FCM n = 82; DEX n = 78). Adverse events, including immune system disorders (0% in FCM versus 10.3% in DEX, P = 0.003) and skin disorders (7.3% in FCM versus 24.4% in DEX, P = 0.004), were less frequently observed in the FCM group. A greater portion of patients in the FCM group experienced a transient, asymptomatic decrease in phosphate compared to patients in the DEX group (8.5% in FCM versus 0% in DEX, P = 0.014). In the FCM arm, the change in hemoglobin from baseline to the highest observed level was 2.8 g/dL, whereas the DEX arm displayed a change of 2.4 g/dL (P = 0.20). Treatment of IDA with FCM resulted in fewer hypersensitivity-related reactions than DEX.

Intravenous ferric carboxymaltose versus standard medical care in the treatment of iron deficiency anemia in patients with chronic kidney disease: a randomized, active-controlled, multi-center study.

BACKGROUND: Currently available intravenous (IV) iron agents vary in indication, dosing regimens and safety profiles. Ferric carboxymaltose (FCM) is a stable, non-dextran-containing iron formulation developed for rapid IV administration in high doses with controlled delivery of iron into target tissues. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the safety of FCM compared with standard medical care (SMC) in dialysis (HD) and non-dialysis-dependent (NDD) chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. METHODS: Adults 18-85 years of age with CKD were enrolled. NDD-CKD (n = 204) patients received an undiluted IV dose of FCM (15 mg/kg to a maximum of 1000 mg IV) and HD-CKD (n = 50) patients received an undiluted IV push of 200 mg ~30-60 min into the dialysis session. Subjects randomized to the SMC group (n = 259) received treatment determined by the investigator that could include oral iron, IV iron or no iron. RESULTS: Single doses of FCM of 200 mg in HD-CKD patients and up to 1000 mg in NDD-CKD patients were well tolerated. Incidences of treatment-emergent adverse events were similar between the groups: 30.3% (77 of 254) in the FCM group and 32.8% (85 of 259) in the SMC group. Incidences of serious adverse events were higher in the SMC group overall and in patients receiving iron sucrose or sodium ferric gluconate. There were no clinically significant differences in laboratory or clinical chemistry values or vital signs between the groups. There were no statistically significant differences between the FCM and SMC groups in indices of hemoglobin (Hb) improvement, including proportions of patients achieving a ≥ 1 g/dL increase in Hb and proportions of patients achieving Hb level of >12 g/dL. CONCLUSION: FCM in doses of 200 mg for HD-CKD patients and up to 1000 mg in NDD-CKD patients were well tolerated and displayed comparable efficacy to other IV iron formulations.

Safety and Efficacy of Intravenous Ferric Carboxymaltose (750 mg) in the Treatment of Iron Deficiency Anemia: Two Randomized, Controlled Trials.

Background. Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is a common hematological complication with potentially serious clinical consequences that may require intravenous iron therapy. Ferric carboxymaltose (FCM) is a stable, nondextran iron formulation administered intravenously in large single doses to treat IDA. Objective. Two open-label, randomized, placebo-controlled trials evaluated safety of multiple or single 750 mg FCM doses compared to standard medical care (SMC) in IDA patients. Secondary endpoints were improvements in hemoglobin and iron indices. Design and Patients. Adults with hemoglobin ≤12 g/dL, ferritin ≤100 or ≤300 ng/mL with transferrin saturation ≤30% were randomized to receive single (n = 366) or weekly (n = 343) FCM or SMC (n = 360 and n = 366). Results. Significantly greater (P ≤ 0.001) increases in hemoglobin and iron indices occurred in FCM groups versus SMC. In the multidose study, up to two infusions of FCM were needed to reach target iron levels versus 3-5 of intravenous iron comparators. FCM and SMC groups had similar incidences and types of adverse events and serious adverse events. Transient hypophosphatemia not associated with adverse events or clinical sequelae occurred in the FCM groups. Conclusion. Intravenous FCM is safe, well tolerated, and associated with improvements in hemoglobin and iron indices comparable to SMC when administered in single doses of up to 750 mg at a rate of 100 mg/min. Fewer FCM infusions were required to reach target iron levels compared to other intravenous iron preparations.

Clinical efficacy and safety of IV ferric carboxymaltose (FCM) treatment of RLS: a multi-centred, placebo-controlled preliminary clinical trial.

OBJECTIVE: Intravenous (IV) iron has been used as a treatment to reduce Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) symptoms, but two double-blinded trials of a frequently prescribed IV iron formulation, iron sucrose, failed to show lasting efficacy. This study evaluates efficacy and safety of a new IV iron formulation (ferric carboxymaltose, FCM) with molecular properties that may make iron more available for uptake to the brain than iron sucrose does. METHODS: In this 28-day, multi-centre, randomised, placebo-controlled trial 46 RLS patients were discontinued from all RLS treatment. Twenty-four received 500 mg FCM in two doses 5 days apart and 22 received a matching placebo. At day 28, those on placebo were given a single 1000 mg IV FCM and those not responding to initial treatment were given a third dose of 500 mg FCM. Patients were followed up for 24 weeks or until needing added RLS treatment. RESULTS: FCM significantly improved primary and secondary outcomes compared to placebo: International Restless Legs Syndrome study group severity scale (IRLS) average (SD) decrease of 8.9 (8.52) versus 4.0 (6.11), p=0.040; Clinical Global Inventory of Change (CGI-1) very much or much improved 48.3% versus 14.3%, p=0.004. Quality of life was also significantly improved. Of the 24 with initial iron treatment 45% responded and 29% remitted (IRLS ≤ 10) at day 28, and 25% continued free of other RLS medications at 24 weeks after treatment. The single 1000 mg dose on day 28 produced the same degree of treatment response as the divided dose, but the added 500 mg dose for those not responding to the initial treatment showed little benefit. There were no significant adverse events. CONCLUSIONS: IV FCM provided a safe and effective treatment for RLS that lasted for at least 24 weeks for some patients. Larger studies are needed to confirm these results.

Randomized evaluation of efficacy and safety of ferric carboxymaltose in patients with iron deficiency anaemia and impaired renal function (REPAIR-IDA): rationale and study design.

BACKGROUND: Patients with iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) in the setting of non-dialysis-dependent chronic kidney disease (NDD-CKD) may benefit from treatment with intravenous (IV) iron. Ferric carboxymaltose (FCM) is a novel IV iron formulation designed to permit larger infusions compared to currently available IV standards such as Venofer(R) (iron sucrose). METHODS: The primary objective of REPAIR-IDA is to estimate the cardiovascular safety and efficacy of FCM (two doses at 15 mg/kg to a maximum of 750 mg per dose) compared to Venofer(R) (1000 mg administered as five infusions of 200 mg) in subjects who have IDA and NDD-CKD. REPAIR-IDA is a multi-centre, randomized, active-controlled, open-label study. Eligible patients must have haemoglobin (Hgb) < or = 11.5 g/dL and CKD defined as (1) GFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m(2) on two occasions or (2) GFR < 90 mL/min/1.73 m(2) and either evidence of renal injury by urinalysis or elevated Framingham cardiovascular risk score. Two thousand and five hundred patients will be randomized to FCM or Venofer(R) in a 1:1 ratio. The primary efficacy endpoint is mean change in Hgb from baseline to the highest observed Hgb between baseline and Day 56. The primary safety endpoint is the proportion of subjects experiencing at least one of the following events: death due to any cause, non-fatal myocardial infarction, non-fatal stroke, unstable angina requiring hospitalization, congestive heart failure requiring hospitalization or medical intervention, arrhythmias, hypertension or hypotension during the 120 days following randomization. CONCLUSION: REPAIR-IDA will assess the efficacy and safety of two 750-mg infusions of FCM compared to an FDA-approved IV iron regimen in patients with NDD-CKD at increased risk for cardiovascular disease.