Goal-directed Dosing

Feraheme allows for goal-directed dosing

Diagnosis and management of IDA with Feraheme

Feraheme allows for goal-directed dosing—a dosing approach described by the National Kidney Foundation Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative, or KDOQI™. In this approach, iron is only delivered when it is deemed necessary. To determine when goal-directed dosing should be used6:

  • Patient hemoglobin (Hgb) and transferrin saturation (TSAT) levels are checked against established targets
  • IV iron therapy is then delivered to align actual levels to target levels
  • Target levels are then considered in relation to a patient's overall iron therapy goals

A goal-directed dosing algorithm is presented below:

Feraheme goal-directed dosing algorithm

Adapted from NKF KDOQI Clinical Practice Guidelines for Anemia of Chronic Kidney Disease. National Kidney Foundation; 2000.
KDOQI is a trademark of the National Kidney Foundation.

Important Safety Information
Indication and contraindications

Feraheme is indicated for the treatment of iron deficiency anemia in adult patients with chronic kidney disease. Feraheme is contraindicated in patients with evidence of iron overload, known hypersensitivity to Feraheme or any of its components, and patients with anemia not caused by iron deficiency.

Warnings and precautions

In clinical studies, serious hypersensitivity reactions were reported in 0.2% (3/1,726) of subjects receiving Feraheme. Other adverse reactions potentially associated with hypersensitivity (e.g., pruritus, rash, urticaria or wheezing) were reported in 3.7% (63/1,726) of subjects. Patients should be observed for signs and symptoms of hypersensitivity for at least 30 minutes following Feraheme injection and the drug should only be administered when personnel and therapies are readily available for the treatment of hypersensitivity reactions. 1.9% (33/1,726) of Feraheme-treated subjects experienced hypotension. Please monitor for signs and symptoms of hypotension following each Feraheme injection. Excessive therapy with parenteral iron can lead to excess storage of iron with the possibility of iatrogenic hemosiderosis. Patients should be regularly monitored for hematologic response during parenteral iron therapy, noting that lab assays may overestimate serum iron and transferrin bound iron values in the 24 hours following administration of Feraheme. As a superparamagnetic iron oxide, Feraheme may transiently affect magnetic resonance diagnostic imaging studies for up to 3 months following the last Feraheme dose. Feraheme will not affect X-ray, CT, PET, SPECT, ultrasound, or nuclear imaging.

Adverse reactions

In clinical trials, the most commonly occurring adverse reactions in Feraheme treated patients versus oral iron treated patients reported in ≥2% of chronic kidney disease patients were diarrhea (4.0% vs. 8.2%), nausea (3.1% vs. 7.5%), dizziness (2.6% vs. 1.8%), hypotension (2.5% vs. 0.4%), constipation (2.1% vs. 5.7%) and peripheral edema (2.0% vs. 3.2%). In clinical trials, adverse reactions leading to treatment discontinuation and occurring in 2 or more Feraheme-treated patients included hypotension, infusion site swelling, increased serum ferritin level, chest pain, diarrhea, dizziness, ecchymosis, pruritus, chronic renal failure, and urticaria.

Please see full Prescribing Information for Feraheme.