Vifor Pharma's Ferinject recommended for iron deficiency in patients with systolic heart failure

The 2016 European Society of Cardiology (ESC) guidelines on acute and chronic heart failure strongly recommend treating iron deficiency with Ferinject (ferric carboxymaltose), a drug marketed by Vifor Pharma, part of Switzerland-based Galenica Group (SIX: GALN).

For the first time, the guidelines recommend that Ferinject should be considered in symptomatic patients with systolic heart failure (HF) and iron deficiency in order to alleviate HF symptoms, improve exercise capacity and quality of life.

Iron deficiency is a common co-morbidity in HF associated with a worse prognosis. Management of co-morbidities is a key component of the holistic care of affected patients. In Europe, one in two patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) has iron deficiency. Many studies have described iron deficiency, with or without anaemia, as an independent risk-factor for mortality, poor exercise capacity and low quality of life.