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
INNIO Group Announces Filing of Registration Statement for Proposed Initial Public Offering11.5.2026 21:49:00 CEST | Press release
INNIO Group ("INNIO"), a leading global distributed energy solutions provider, today announces that it has publicly filed a registration statement on Form S-1 with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") relating to a proposed initial public offering of its common shares. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260511389675/en/ INNIO Group Announces Filing of Registration Statement for Proposed Initial Public Offering The timing of the offering, number of shares to be offered and the price range for the proposed offering have not yet been determined. INNIO has applied to list its common shares on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the ticker symbol "INIO." Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, J.P. Morgan and Morgan Stanley are acting as joint lead book-running managers for the proposed offering. BofA Securities, Barclays and Citigroup are acting as book-running managers for the proposed offering. Baird, BNP Paribas
Only 7% of Companies Achieve Full Compliance as Global Expansion Increases Legal Complexity11.5.2026 15:00:00 CEST | Press release
47% of general counsels say beneficial ownership rules pose the biggest risks to legal operations44% lack confidence in meeting cross-border data security requirements As businesses accelerate their global expansion in 2026, compliance fails to keep pace. In fact, only 7% of organizations report full compliance across their global entities, according to a new study by CSC, the leading provider of global business administration and compliance solutions. CSC surveyed 350 general counsel (GCs) and senior legal professionals across Europe, North America, and Asia Pacific to examine how their teams navigate international expansion, regulatory pressure, and the increasing adoption of artificial intelligence (AI).¹ The findings appear in CSC’s latest report, General Counsel Barometer 2026: From Complexity to Control. Most organizations report partial compliance, with over half (53%) estimating they are 50–75% compliant, and a further 35% placing themselves between 76%–99%. This leaves just 7%
IFF Opens Vanilla Innovation Center in Madagascar11.5.2026 14:15:00 CEST | Press release
Advancing science‑led flavor innovation where vanilla is grown IFF (NYSE: IFF)—a global leader in flavors, fragrances, food ingredients, health & bioscience—today announced the opening of its Vanilla Innovation Center in Madagascar, reinforcing vanilla as a strategic and priority tonality for IFF and strengthening its ability to innovate at origin. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260508110162/en/ IFF's Vanilla Innovation Center in Madagascar “The opening of the center marks an important step in how we approach vanilla innovation,” said Adam Jańczuk, Ph.D., senior vice president, research, creation and design, Taste, IFF. “By strengthening our presence at origin, we connect science, creativity and sustainability more closely, responding to climate changes, safeguarding quality and creating value across the supply chain.” Located in Toamasina, Madagascar’s principal seaport, near vanilla growing areas and post‑h
ARIS Recognised as a Leader in Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Process Intelligence Platforms, Believes This Reinforces Its Role in Enabling Enterprise AI at Scale11.5.2026 14:00:00 CEST | Press release
ARIS, the process context foundation platform for enterprise AI deployment, today announced its recognition as a Leader in the Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Process Intelligence Platforms. This is the fourth consecutive year that ARIS has been recognized as a Leader in the report and the company believes it underscores a continued commitment to innovation and growth as enterprises focus on turning AI ambition into measurable business outcomes. While technology has advanced rapidly, companies are struggling to operationalise AI across complex operating models. ARIS sees this recognition by Gartner as a reflection of its strength in delivering a single unified platform for process intelligence, providing the context layer on which G2000 organisations can successfully deploy and scale agentic AI. “AI is moving from experimentation to execution – but many enterprises are finding it difficult to scale,” said Guillaume Bacuvier, CEO of ARIS. “The reason is simple: AI lacks the context it need
HistoSonics Moves to Advance Additional Histotripsy Applications Announcing FDA Submission for Kidney Tumors11.5.2026 14:00:00 CEST | Press release
HistoSonics, the developer of the Edison® Histotripsy System and novel histotripsy therapy platform, today announced it has submitted a De Novo request to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration seeking authorization to expand the use of its Edison® Histotripsy System to include the destruction of kidney (renal) tumors. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260511268688/en/ HistoSonics Edison® Histotripsy System This milestone marks a significant step forward in the company’s mission to transform the treatment of solid tumors with a completely non-invasive technology that harnesses focused ultrasound to mechanically liquefy and destroy targeted tissue, reducing the risk of many complications and side effects associated with surgery, radiation, and other common therapies. “This submission is an important milestone in expanding histotripsy beyond the liver and into the kidney, an area where patients and physicians are s
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