Population
Patients receiving chemotherapy for non-myeloid malignancies with chemotherapy-induced anaemia (CIA), enrolled in the IRON-CLAD study conducted at 58 sites in the United States, Bulgaria, Georgia, Hungary, and Poland (n= 244).
Intervention
Ferric carboxymaltose (FCM) infusions (n= 122).
Comparison
Placebo (n= 122).
Outcome
The percentage of patients who maintained Hb within 0.5 g/dL of baseline from weeks 3 to 18 was significantly higher with FCM versus placebo (50.8% vs. 35.3%). Mean change in Hb from baseline to week 18 was similar between FCM and placebo (1.04 vs. 0.87 g/dL) but significantly greater with FCM with baseline Hb <= 9.9 g/dL (1.08 vs. 0.42 g/dL). The percent with >= 1 g/dL increase from baseline was significantly higher with FCM versus placebo (71% vs. 54%), occurring in a median 43 versus 85 days. Common adverse events in the FCM arm included neutropenia (17%), hypophosphatemia (16%), and fatigue (15%). FCM monotherapy effectively maintained Hb and was well tolerated in CIA.