VIFOR-PHARMA
31.8.2021 07:02:05 CEST | Business Wire | Press release
Regulatory News:
Vifor Pharma is pleased to announce that the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) included new recommendations and proposals in the 2021 ESC guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic heart failure for two of their key products, Ferinject® and Veltassa® .
With regard to iron deficiency, the following new recommendations for HF patients with reduced function of the heart are added:
- Periodic screening for iron deficiency is recommended in all HF patients (Class I).
- Ferinject® should be considered to reduce the risk of HF hospitalizations in symptomatic HF patients with iron deficiency (Class IIa).
- Ferinject® should be considered before and early after discharge in patients who have been hospitalized with acute heart failure and with iron deficiency to improve HF symptoms and reduce risk of re-hospitalizations (Class IIa).
The existing recommendation to consider Ferinject® in patients with HF and iron deficiency to alleviate HF symptoms, improve exercise capacity and quality of life remains unchanged (Class IIa designation). The results of the AFFIRM-AHF study are reflected in the update of the ESC guidelines. Ferinject® remains the only intravenous (i.v.) iron therapy specifically mentioned in the new ESC HF guidelines.
The guidelines also propose that the use of potassium binder agents like Veltassa® may allow RAAS inhibitor initiation or uptitration in a larger proportion of heart failure patients. In patients with chronic or recurrent hyperkalemia on RAAS inhibitor therapy Veltassa® may as well be initiated to maintain the patients on guidelines recommended doses of RAAS inhibitors. The new proposals further describe the unique evidence for RAASi enabling generated by Veltassa® through the clinical trials.
“We are very pleased with the new recommendations to the ESC’s guidelines in heart failure and are grateful for this development for the patients,” commented Klaus Henning Jensen, Chief Medical Officer of Vifor Pharma. “With improved diagnosis rates of iron deficiency and enabling RAASi, more patients can benefit from treatment. Reducing the risk of heart failure hospitalizations and improving symptoms are key therapeutic goals in the treatment of heart failure. We are particularly pleased by the consideration of Ferinject® and Veltassa® in the new treatment guidelines to achieve these therapeutic goals and believe this will enable us to further expand our role in helping heart failure patients with iron deficiency and hyperkalemia live better, healthier lives.”
The ESC HF guidelines aim to provide practical, evidence-based recommendations for the diagnosis and treatment of HF, thereby improving and harmonizing standards of diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular diseases for physicians, and potentially optimizing patient care. The ESC HF guidelines are updated periodically, with the 2021 version published at the virtual ESC congress end of August 2021.
The 2021 ESC guidelines are published under: www.escardio.org/Guidelines
About Vifor Pharma Group
Vifor Pharma Group is a global pharmaceuticals company. It aims to become the global leader in iron deficiency, nephrology and cardio-renal therapies. The company is a partner of choice for pharmaceuticals and innovative patient-focused solutions. Vifor Pharma Group strives to help patients around the world with severe and chronic diseases lead better, healthier lives. The company develops, manufactures and markets pharmaceutical products for precision patient care. Vifor Pharma Group holds a leading position in all its core business activities and consists of the following companies: Vifor Pharma and Vifor Fresenius Medical Care Renal Pharma (a joint company with Fresenius Medical Care). Vifor Pharma Group is headquartered in Switzerland, and listed on the Swiss Stock Exchange (SIX Swiss Exchange, VIFN, ISIN: CH0364749348).
For more information, please visit viforpharma.com .
About AFFIRM-AHF
The AFFIRM-AHF study was a multi-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, comparing the effect of intravenous ferric carboxymaltose (FCM) on hospitalizations and mortality in iron deficient patients admitted for acute heart failure. The study demonstrated that administration of Ferinject®
reduced the risk of HF hospitalizations and improved quality of life with no apparent effect on the risk of cardiovascular death.
About Ferinject®
Ferinject®
/Injectafer®
(ferric carboxymaltose) is a leading i.v. iron therapy with market authorization in 84 countries by the end of June 2021. More than 16 million patient years of experience have helped to establish Ferinject®
/ Injectafer®
as a trusted brand, with clinical benefits demonstrated by its efficacy and safety data2
.
About Veltassa®
Veltassa®
(patiromer) is a potassium binder approved for the treatment of hyperkalemia. Veltassa®
was specially designed to exchange calcium rather than sodium for potassium ions, ensuring suitability for patients who cannot tolerate even small increases in sodium. Veltassa®
should not replace emergency treatment for life-threatening hyperkalemia.
References:
1
Anker, S.,D. (2018). Effects of ferric carboxymaltose on hospitalisations and mortality rates in iron-deficient heart failure patients: an individual patient meta-analysis. Eur J Heart fail. 20(1):125-133. doi: 1002/ejhf.823.
2
Scott Drugs. 2018 Mar;78(4):479–493. doi: 10.1007/ s40265-018-0885-7.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210830005519/en/
Link:
About Business Wire
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
Elisa Expands PON Deployment with Vecima’s All-PON™ Shelf, Delivering 10G Fiber Services in Estonia6.5.2026 13:30:00 CEST | Press release
Elisa plans to install Vecima’s EXS1610 All-PON shelf across its footprint in Estonia, building on its existing Vecima PON deployment16-port EXS1610 All-PON Shelf supports a variety of PON standards, including GPON, XGS-PON, and 10G-EPON Vecima Networks Inc. (TSX: VCM) announced today that leading telecommunications operator Elisa has deployed Vecima’s Entra EXS1610 All-PON™ Shelf for 10G Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) services for its subscribers in Estonia. In Estonia’s competitive broadband market, Elisa brings highly innovative solutions to its subscribers. Vecima’s EXS1610 supports multiple deployment use cases, including greenfield, targeted brownfields, rural edge-outs, hybrid fiber-coax (HFC) overbuilds, footprint extensions, and hub collapses. Its compact shelf footprint can help reduce operating costs and allow operators to deploy anywhere – for maximum flexibility, including data centers, remote cabinets, the headend, and multi-dwelling units. The Entra EXS1610 All-PON Shelf featu
Vertex Announces CASGEVY® Reimbursement Agreement for the Treatment of Sickle Cell Disease and Transfusion-Dependent Beta Thalassemia in Germany6.5.2026 13:01:00 CEST | Press release
-The agreement ensures sustainable access to this innovative therapy for eligible patients ages 12 years and older in Germany- Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (Nasdaq: VRTX) announced today that a reimbursement agreement was signed with the GKV-Spitzenverband for its CRISPR/Cas9 gene-edited therapy, CASGEVY® (exagamglogene autotemcel). This agreement secures sustainable access to this innovative one-time treatment for eligible patients in Germany ages 12 years and older living with severe sickle cell disease or transfusion-dependent beta thalassemia. “For the first time in Germany, a long-term, sustainable access agreement to a gene therapy has been established for people living with sickle cell disease and transfusion-dependent beta thalassemia,” said Ludovic Fenaux, Senior Vice President, Vertex International. “This agreement represents significant progress for people living with these two devastating and life-shortening diseases. We are pleased to collaborate across the health c
Suzano Connects an Area the Size of Over 200,000 Soccer Fields Through Ecological Corridors in Just Four Years6.5.2026 13:00:00 CEST | Press release
Initiative integrates fragments of native forests in the Atlantic Forest, Cerrado and Amazon biomes, stimulating wildlife movement, the expansion of vegetation cover and the restoration of ecosystems Suzano, the world's largest pulp supplier, has connected 214,368 hectares of native forest in the Atlantic Forest, Cerrado, and Amazon biomes in Brazil by establishing ecological corridors, restoring an area larger than 200,000 soccer fields within four years. In 2025 alone, 55,366 hectares of native forest were connected, advancing Suzano’s public goal of connecting 500,000 hectares by 2030, as outlined in the Company’s recently published Sustainability Report. The implementation of ecological corridors is guided by decades of research and monitoring by Suzano and its partners. The aim is to connect larger fragments of land that host greater biodiversity, as well as those already monitored by experts, with sites where wildlife is limited or threatened. These corridors are designed to foll
NIQ Launches AI-Powered Platform to Help Brands Test Pricing Decisions Before They Go to Market6.5.2026 13:00:00 CEST | Press release
New AI-enabled solution replaces fragmented tools with simulation-driven pricing and promotion decisions before execution As manufacturers face mounting pressure to protect margins, justify trade spend, and respond faster to shifting consumer demand, NIQ (NYSE: NIQ), a global leader in consumer intelligence, today announced the commercial launch of Price & Promo Optimizer, a next‑generation, AI‑enabled Revenue Growth Management (RGM) platform built to fundamentally change how pricing and promotion decisions are made. Today, many pricing and promotion decisions are still made across disconnected tools, manual workflows, and siloed teams—slowing execution, increasing risk, and limiting the ability to validate strategies before they reach the market. Price & Promo Optimizer replaces this fragmented approach with a united platform that brings pricing, promotion, and trade strategy into a single workflow. Powered by NIQ’s trusted store‑level measurement data and advanced analytical models,
From Checkout to Check-In: Klarna and Minor Hotels Bring Flexible Payments to Europe6.5.2026 12:56:00 CEST | Press release
Klarna, the global digital bank and flexible payments provider, and Minor Hotels, one of the world's leading hospitality groups, today announced a new partnership bringing Klarna's payments to travellers booking across Europe, just in time for the summer holiday season. With over 640 hotels, resorts and branded residences in operation and committed development across 63 countries, the group crafts innovative and insightful experiences through its hotel brands including Anantara, Elewana Collection, The Wolseley Hotels, Tivoli, Minor Reserve Collection, NH Collection, nhow, Avani, Colbert Collection, NH, Oaks, and iStay, as well as a diverse portfolio of restaurants and bars, travel experiences, and spa and wellness brands. Guests booking through Minor Hotel can now choose how they pay at checkout, whether that's paying immediately or splitting the cost into three interest-free installments, giving travellers greater financial flexibility when planning their dream trips. The partnership
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom