Vifor Pharma has published findings from a major study which shows that its intravenous treatment Ferinject significantly prolongs the time until other anaemia treatment is needed.

The data comes from the FIND-CKD study, the largest and longest study ever conducted in patients with non-dialysis-dependent chronic kidney disease (ND-CKD) to assess the efficacy and long term safety of IV iron for the treatment of iron deficiency anaemia (IDA). More than 600 patients from 20 countries were included in this 56-week trial.

Ferinject (ferric carboxymaltose) was compared to oral iron treatment and the study met its primary endpoint, demonstrating that the Vifor product, given at a starting dose of 1,000mg and subsequent dosing as required reduces the need for treatment with erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) or blood transfusion) in this patient population. Detailed results will be submitted at the American Society of Nephrology meeting in Atlanta in November.

Vifor noted that "while several small studies have assessed the optimal route of administration and dosing strategy for iron therapy in patients with ND-CKD, rigorous data are still sparse and, therefore, treatment schemes for the management of IDA vary widely". As such, the results of FIND-CKD "could represent a significant advance in the understanding of how to best treat" these patients.

The risk for anaemia increases as renal function deteriorates and it is estimated that as many as 70% of patients with ND-CKD are anaemic by the time they reach dialysis. Vifor notes that iron deficiency is the most common cause of anaemia in patients with ND-CKD.