Nvidia among investors in xAI’s $20 bln capital raise- Bloomberg
LONDON - Shield Therapeutics plc (LSE:STX) announced positive results from a clinical study showing its oral iron treatment FeRACCRU® (ferric maltol) improved outcomes in patients with heart failure and iron deficiency anemia.
The ORION-HF study, published in the European Journal of Heart Failure on July 21, demonstrated that after 16 weeks of treatment, patients experienced significant increases in hemoglobin levels, rising from 11.4 to 12.8 g/dl (p<0.001).
The multicenter European open-label prospective study involved 50 patients with symptomatic heart failure and iron deficiency anemia who received 30 mg of ferric maltol twice daily.
Researchers observed statistically significant improvements in several secondary measures, including the six-minute walk test, where patients increased their walking distance from 298 to 335 meters (p<0.001). Quality of life scores, measured by the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire, also improved significantly from 65 to 76 points (p=0.004).
The treatment demonstrated positive changes in other iron markers including ferritin, iron, and transferrin saturation (p<0.001). According to the press release statement, the drug was well-tolerated with no serious related adverse events reported, though 19 adverse events were documented, primarily gastrointestinal-related.
Professor Johann Bauersachs, Director of the Department of Cardiology and Angiology at Hannover Medical School and lead author of the publication, noted that ferric maltol "could be the practicable oral alternative to intravenous therapy for the treatment of heart failure."
Shield’s licensing partner in Japan, VITAL-NET, Inc., has received approval for an investigational new drug application to study ferric maltol in Japanese patients with pulmonary hypertension and anemia.
This article was generated with the support of AI and reviewed by an editor. For more information see our T&C.