Study to Test the Hypothesis of Non-inferior Efficacy and Safety of Ferrum Lek® (Iron (III) Hydroxide Polymaltosate), 100 mg Chewable Tablets (Lek d.d., Slovenia), as Compared With MALTOFER® (Vifor S.A., Switzerland), in Subjects With Mild and Moderate Iron Deficiency Anemia.
Condition: Mild and Moderate Iron-deficiency Anaemia
MeSH terms: Anemia; Anemia, Iron-Deficiency; Iron Deficiencies; Deficiency Diseases
Intervention: Ferrum Lek® (iron (III) hydroxide polymaltosate), 100 mg chewable tablets (Lek d.d., Slovenia); MALTOFER® (iron (III) hydroxide polymaltosate), 100 mg chewable tablets (Vifor S.A., Switzerland)
Intervention description: Participants received Ferrum Lek® 2 tablets daily (200 mg) for 12 weeks; Participants received MALTOFER® 2 tablets daily (200 mg) for 12 weeks
Intervention MeSH terms: Iron
Phase: Phase 3
Study type: Interventional
Primary purpose: Treatment
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Enrollment: 267.0
Sex: All
Minimum age: 18 Years
Healthy volunteers: No
Keywords: Ferrum Lek® (iron (III) hydroxide polymaltosate); mild and moderate iron-deficiency anaemia

Summary:

      The purpose of this study was to evaluate non-inferiority for efficacy and safety of Ferrum
      Lek® (iron (III) hydroxide polymaltosate), 100 mg chewable tablets (Lek d.d., Slovenia),
      compared to MALTOFER® (Vifor S.A., Switzerland), in the treatment of patients with mild and
      moderate iron-deficiency anaemia.
    

Eligibility criteria:

        Inclusion Criteria:

          1. The signed and dated written informed consent prior to participation in the study.

          2. Men and women aged 18 and older (by the time of screening).

          3. Outpatients.

          4. Diagnosed iron-deficiency anemia, based on two criteria:

               1. hemoglobin level below 110 g/L (in men and women), but above 80 g/L,

               2. serum ferritin levels below 30 µg/L.

        Exclusion Criteria:

          1. Administration of any iron-containing drugs during the last 3 months.

          2. History of erythropoietin drugs administration.

          3. Hypersensitivity to iron therapy (both Oral and/or IV administration) and other
             components of the study drugs.

          4. Hormone therapy (including the use of androgens/anabolic steroids) or administration
             of drugs that inhibit blood formation, less than 3 months before the start of the
             study.

          5. History of severe allergic reactions or drug intolerance.

          6. Fructose intolerance, glucose-galactose malabsorption syndrome, and sucrase-isomaltase
             deficiency.

          7. Pregnant or lactating women, or women intending to become pregnant during the study.

          8. Failure of iron therapy for iron-deficiency anaemia in a subject's past medical
             history.

          9. Heme metabolism disorders (e.g., sideroachrestic anaemia, lead anaemia, thalassaemia).

         10. Iron overload including haemochromatosis and hemosiderosis

         11. Other causes of anemia, apart from iron deficiency, including:

               1. Haemolysis (determined as per analyses results at screening, or as per anamnestic
                  data),

               2. Vitamin B12 and folic acid deficiency (as per the screening data),

               3. Chronic kidney disease (creatinine clearance at screening is below 90 ml/min
                  (based on Cockcroft-Gault Formula)),

               4. Systemic connective tissue diseases, chronic infectious diseases requiring
                  regular therapy (as per the past medical history), and other conditions which
                  may, in the investigator's opinion, be accompanied by anaemia of chronic
                  diseases.

         12. Dysfunction of the thyroid gland (based on the data obtained at screening).

         13. Laboratory and clinical signs of an active inflammatory process for 10 days before
             screening.

         14. AST, ALT, and total bilirubin levels exceeding the upper limit of normal 1.5 times and
             more.

         15. Clinically apparent hypothyroidism, in the investigator's opinion.

         16. Malignant diseases, including blood and lymphoid tissue disorders (leukemia, Hodgkin
             disease, myelodysplastic syndrome, myeloma, etc.) at screening or in the past medical
             history, provided that the remission was less than 5 years before screening.

         17. Signs of bone marrow aplasia at screening or history of bone marrow aplasia.

         18. The necessity of parenteral iron therapy, i.e. the following cases:

               1. impaired absorption in case of an intestinal pathology (enteritis, coeliac
                  disease, malabsorption, small intestinal resection, stomach resection, including
                  the duodenum);

               2. exacerbation of gastric or duodenal ulcer;

               3. the necessity of quick iron saturation, e.g. in patients with iron-deficiency
                  anaemia with upcoming surgery;

               4. continuous vast blood loss and other causes, at the discretion of the
                  investigator.

         19. Known presence of an active infection caused by Helicobacter pylori. In case of
             presence of Helicobacter pylori, a subject may be enrolled after eradicative therapy.

         20. Concomitant diseases and conditions, which, in the investigator's opinion, pose risk
             to a subject's safety in case of his/her participation in the study, or able to affect
             the safety data analysis in case of exacerbation of this disease/condition during the
             study, including:

               1. Myocardial infarction or stroke within 6 months before screening.

               2. Unstable angina;

               3. Severe arrhythmia, not controlled by drug therapy;

               4. Decompensated diabetes mellitus;

               5. Nephrological disorders;

               6. Other significant diseases, at the discretion of the investigator.

         21. HIV infection (as per the screening data or the results of analysis performed within 6
             months before screening).

         22. Known or suspected drug or alcohol abuse for the last 2 years.

         23. Suspected poor adherence of a subject (e.g., due to mental disorders).

         24. Participation in any clinical drug studies less than 3 months before the study.

         25. Blood donation / blood transfusion within 30 days prior to screening or planned blood
             transfusion at time of screening.

         26. History of smoking, unless leave off smoking > 6 months.