Recent publication of two papers concerning oral Feraccru/Accrufer treatment for iron deficiency.- Shield Therapeutics

Shield Therapeutics plc with its lead product Feraccru/Accrufer (ferric maltol), notes the recent publication of two papers concerning Feraccru/Accrufer.ORal IrON supplementation with ferric maltol in patients with Pulmonary Hypertension (ORION-PH).

The European Respiratory Journal has recently published the results of ORION-PH (European Respiratory Journal; DOI: 10.1183/13993003.00616-2020; Olsson KM, Fuge J, Brod T, et al). Iron deficiency is common in people with pulmonary hypertension (PH) and contributes to reduced physical performance. Whilst current guidelines recommend the use of intravenous (IV) iron this exploratory open label study aimed to explore the use of ferric maltol in PH patients. The primary objective of the study was the change in haemoglobin levels from baseline to week 12 following treatment with ferric maltol. Secondary objectives included the effects of oral ferric maltol on iron status, World Health Organization Functional Class (WHO FC) and 6 min walking distance (6MWD). The study concluded that ferric maltol was well tolerated by the majority of patients and resulted in significant improvements in iron status and haemoglobin levels after 12 weeks of treatment. These changes were accompanied by signs of improved right ventricular function and improved exercise capacity, supporting the notion that iron deficiency has detrimental effects in patients with PH and that treating iron deficiency anaemia in these patients is important. Despite the limitations of a small open label study, the results suggest that oral iron supplementation with ferric maltol might become a safe, effective and convenient treatment option for patients with PH and iron deficiency.Shield provided the study medication for this study but did not provide financial or logistic support and was not involved in data analysis or writing of this manuscript.

Oral Iron for IBD Patients: Lessons Learned at Time of COVID-19 Pandemic:On 19 May 2020, The Journal of Clinical Meshed a literadicine publiture review conducted by Ferdinando D’Amico, Laurent Peyrin-Biroulet and Silvio Danese (J. Clin. Med. 2020, 9(5), 1536; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm9051536). In the context of the COVID-19 health emergency the authors reviewed alternatives to IV iron to reduce all non-essential hospital activities. They recognised the importance of maintaining iron treatment in patients with inflammatory bowel disease and that oral iron, preferably ferric maltol, could be a suitable alternative for many patients.

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