This article is part of our ongoing coverage of Renal Week 2009. Click here for a complete list of our Renal Week Live articles.
Key Points
- Ferumoxytol, an injection formulation of iron, is a promising treatment for iron deficiency-related anemia.
- The drug was approved by the FDA in June.
- Ajay K. Singh, MD, Director of Dialysis Services at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, spoke about the role of IV iron in anemia management at a symposium titled “Controversies in Anemia Management of CKD Patients.”
Ferumoxytol, an injection formulation of iron, is a promising treatment for iron deficiency-related anemia, according to Ajay K. Singh, MD.
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Results from three phase 3 efficacy trials showed that ferumoxytol achieved a significantly greater increase in hemoglobin from baseline in patients with CKD stages 1-5 compared with oral iron, Dr. Singh noted. Treatment with the drug also resulted in a significantly greater proportion of patients who achieved a 1 g/dL or greater improvement in hemoglobin at Day 35 compared with oral iron.
The drug was approved by the FDA in June.
Dr. Singh, Director of Dialysis Services at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, spoke about the role of IV iron in anemia management at a symposium titled “Controversies in Anemia Management of CKD Patients,” sponsored by Fresenius Medical Care.
Iron dextran, he said, has the highest incidence of modest and severe life-threatening adverse effects, and ferumoxytol, iron sucrose, and iron gluconate are safer, although there have been no head-to-head comparisons of these different preparations.
Dr. Singh also told listeners about other new agents, such as ferric pyrophosphate and iron oligosaccharide, both of which are in clinical trials.
