Iron deficiency anemia is the most common nutritional deficiency worldwide, occurring when the body lacks enough iron to produce adequate hemoglobin, leading to fatigue, weakness, reduced exercise tolerance, and impaired cognitive function. Underlying causes range from poor dietary intake to chronic blood loss, and treatment must address both the deficiency and its source.
What's actually going on in research
Intravenous iron formulations have become increasingly favored over oral iron for patients with absorption issues or intolerance, and several newer IV iron preparations allow faster infusion and single-dose repletion. Trials are comparing oral and IV approaches across various patient populations, studying the optimal timing of iron therapy in heart failure and chronic kidney disease, and investigating whether correcting iron deficiency independent of hemoglobin levels improves outcomes.
IV iron in heart failure
Ferric carboxymaltose and other IV iron formulations are being tested in patients with heart failure and iron deficiency to determine whether iron repletion reduces hospitalizations and improves exercise capacity.
Oral iron tolerability
Novel oral iron formulations with reduced gastrointestinal side effects are in trials, aiming to improve adherence in patients who cannot receive or access intravenous therapy.
Iron in chronic kidney disease
The optimal iron repletion target and formulation in patients with chronic kidney disease — who lose iron through dialysis and have impaired absorption — are being refined in ongoing trials.
What to know before you search
Eligibility depends on hemoglobin level, ferritin and transferrin saturation, underlying cause, and whether oral iron has already been tried.
What types of trials are currently open
- IV iron formulation trials — Comparing newer intravenous iron preparations for speed, safety, and degree of iron repletion.
- Oral iron trials — Testing formulations and dosing schedules that maximize absorption while reducing gastrointestinal side effects.
- Heart failure trials — Evaluating whether iron therapy improves exercise capacity and reduces hospitalizations in iron-deficient heart failure.
- Chronic kidney disease trials — Studying iron repletion strategies in patients on dialysis or with advanced kidney disease.
- Pediatric trials — Testing iron supplementation strategies in children and adolescents with deficiency anemia.
Recently added Iron Deficiency Anemia trials
Efficacy of Oral Sucrosomial Iron Supplementation in Children With Celiac Disease and Iron Deficiency or Anemia
Celiac disease in children is frequently associated with iron deficiency and/or iron deficiency anemia due to intestinal malabsorption and chronic inflammation. Although a gluten-free diet is the standard treatment and can restore iron balance over time, there is currently no clear evidence or consensus on the role and timing of iron supplementation in pediatric patients at diagnosis. Given the potential impact of anemia on growth and neurodevelopment, strategies that enable a faster correction of iron deficiency are clinically relevant. Sucrosomial® iron has shown improved absorption and gastrointestinal tolerability compared to conventional oral iron in adult celiac patients. This study aims to evaluate whether Sucrosomial® iron supplementation, in addition to a gluten-free diet, is more effective and safe than diet alone in achieving a faster normalization of hemoglobin and iron stores in children with newly diagnosed celiac disease. The primary objective of this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study is to assess whether oral supplementation with Sucrosomial® iron, when added to a gluten-free diet (GFD), accelerates the normalization of iron stores and hemoglobin levels compared with GFD alone in school-age children and adolescents newly diagnosed with celiac disease presenting with hypoferritinemia and/or iron deficiency anemia. Target Study Population: Children and adolescents with celiac disease and iron deficiency or anemia due to iron deficiency. Study Duration Total study duration (per patient) will be about 6 months; total treatment duration (per patient) will be 6 months. Number of Patients: 60 planned Two typologies of patients will be included: with hypoferritinemia and with anemia due to iron deficiency. The randomization process will be stratified, so that: * 15 patients with hypoferritinemia receive active treatment and 15 patients receive placebo; * 15 patients with anemia due to iron deficiency receive active treatment and 15 patients receive placebo. The age of patients will also be considered for the randomization (to assign the correct number of product bottles).
A Pilot Study to Evaluate the Ability of Lactoferrin to Modulate Iron Homeostasis and Exercise Performance in Exercising Females
This randomized, double-blind, active-controlled trial will evaluate the effects of human lactoferrin supplementation combined with low-dose iron on iron status, aerobic performance, and lactate metabolism in exercising women with low ferritin. Approximately 30 healthy, menstruating women aged 18-45 years with serum ferritin \<35 µg/L will be enrolled in an 8-week intervention. Participants will be stratified by baseline ferritin status and randomized to receive 100 mg lactoferrin + 5 mg iron, 300 mg lactoferrin + 5 mg iron, or placebo + 5 mg iron daily. Primary outcomes include changes in ferritin and hematological parameters. Secondary outcomes include VO₂peak, time to exhaustion, and blood lactate responses during standardized treadmill testing. This study will determine whether lactoferrin enhances iron homeostasis and improves physiological and performance outcomes in exercising women with low iron stores.
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