VIFOR-PHARMA
10.12.2021 17:47:07 CET | Business Wire | Press release
Vifor Pharma today announced that the first patient has been enrolled in a double-blind, randomized phase-IIa clinical trial evaluating the safety, efficacy and tolerability of vamifeport in adult patients with sickle cell disease. Vamifeport, developed by Vifor Pharma, is a novel oral ferroportin inhibitor investigated for treatment of diseases characterized by ineffective production of red blood cells and iron overload, including SCD and beta-thalassemia. It has been granted orphan drug designation from both the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for the treatment of SCD.
Dr. Klaus Henning Jensen, Chief Medical Officer of Vifor Pharma Group commented, “Starting the phase-IIa trial is an important milestone in the clinical development of vamifeport for sickle cell disease, a debilitating orphan condition for which there are very limited treatment options. Patients worldwide continue to suffer from consequences of the disease which dramatically impacts their quality of life and life expectancy. We look forward to continuing development of our potential new treatment for these patients”.
SCD is a group of inherited red blood cell disorders and is a genetic condition present at birth. In this disease, red blood cells carry abnormal haemoglobin, which makes them prone to rupture, causing adhesion of sickle cells and inflammatory cells to the blood vessels. This ultimately leads to an obstruction of blood flow and organ damage. There are an estimated 150,000 patients in Europe and the US combined living with sickle cell disease.
About the SCD-202 trial
The phase-IIa study is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel group trial aiming to recruit 25 patients at 14 clinical sites in the United States, the United Kingdom, Lebanon and Greece. The primary objective of the trial is to assess the change in markers of hemolysis (the rupturing of red blood cells) upon treatment with vamifeport. Patients will undergo initial treatment for 4 weeks, followed by an additional 4-week period with either maintenance of the dose level or a dose step-up. The study also includes a 4-week follow-up period after treatment. End of enrolment is expected mid-2022 with topline results anticipated at the end of 2022.
Further information about the study, including eligibility requirements, is available at www.clinicaltrials.gov (NTC04817670).
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 vamifeport
Vamifeport is an oral inhibitor of ferroportin, an enzyme essential for the body’s transport of iron and plays a key role in regulating iron uptake and distribution in the body. Vamifeport binds to ferroportin and blocks it to prevent excessive iron release into the blood. As iron is needed for the formation of haemoglobin, this relative decrease in iron availability is expected to reduce the concentration of abnormal haemoglobin in red blood cells and prevent ensuing unfavorable events. Vamifeport-mediated ferroportin inhibition may lead to less haemolysis, decrease of inflammation and better blood flow with consequent improvement of both the symptoms and clinical outcomes of SCD.
Vamifeport is currently also in phase II development for beta-thalassemia, an inherited rare blood disorder that reduces the production of functional haemoglobin in red blood cells, which can lead to a lack of oxygen in many parts of the body and potentially cause anaemia.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211210005374/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
Future Health Convenes Global Health Leaders at UNGA to Advance Health System Transformation at Scale26.9.2026 17:21:00 CEST | Press release
High-level dialogue explored how predictive and preventive health systems can deliver better health outcomes worldwide. Ministers, senior government representatives, and health leaders from 15 countries shared approaches to building health systems that predict risk, prevent disease, and support earlier intervention at population scale. Participants identified population-level data, financing, and delivery capacity as essential to turning earlier insight into action. Trust, community reach, and inclusive design were recognised as critical to ensuring that earlier insight and intervention are delivered effectively and equitably Future Health – A Global Initiative by Abu Dhabi convened Ministers, senior government representatives, and global health leaders in New York on the sidelines of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 81). The high-level dialogue set out practical priorities for moving health systems from reactive treatment towards prediction, prevention, an
Mirum Pharmaceuticals and Incyte Announce U.S. FDA Approval of Atebrioz™ (zilurgisertib) for Adult and Pediatric Patients with Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva26.9.2026 01:00:00 CEST | Press release
-Once-daily oral ALK2 inhibitor approved to reduce the volume of total new heterotopic ossification in patients aged 12 years and older with FOP-Atebrioz expected to be available in the United States in October through Mirum Access Plus (MAP), with eligible patients paying as little as $0 per month-PROGRESS pediatric development program continues to evaluate zilurgisertib in children aged 2 to <12 years Mirum Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq:MIRM) and Incyte (Nasdaq:INCY) today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Atebrioz™ (zilurgisertib) tablets to reduce the volume of total new heterotopic ossification (HO) in adult and pediatric patients aged 12 years and older with fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP). The recommended dose of Atebrioz is 100 mg administered orally, once daily. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260925436454/en/ “Today marks an important milestone for pe
Digital Reef Signs Offtake Agreement with Oreasoc Agriculture to Mitigate the Environmental Footprint of Data Centre Growth Through Rainforest Protection, Appointing Xange.com as Digital MRV Partner25.9.2026 21:19:00 CEST | Press release
The offtake agreement connects Digital Reef’s 3.3 GW data centre pipeline with environmental assets from more than 30 million hectares of Amazon rainforest across South America, where Oreasoc Agriculture works directly on the ground alongside local communities to develop sustainable economies and safeguard their territories. Xange.com’s digital MRV technology monitors both the data centres and the rainforest. At Climate Week NYC, Digital Reef and Oreasoc Agriculture Inc. sign an offtake agreement connecting Digital Reef’s 3.3 GW data centre pipeline with environmental assets exceeding 30 million hectares of South American Amazon rainforest, mitigating the environmental footprint of data centre growth through rainforest protection and restoration where Oreasoc works alongside local communities to protect biodiversity, develop sustainable economies and safeguard their territories. Xange.com are appointed as digital MRV technology partner to monitor the data centres and rainforest where D
NetApp Announces Intent to Acquire PEAK:AIO to Advance Scalable AI Infrastructure Architecture25.9.2026 15:00:00 CEST | Press release
Planned acquisition strengthens NetApp's position in the rapidly growing AI infrastructure market by bringing differentiated metadata innovation and parallel file architecture designed for AI NetApp® (NASDAQ: NTAP), the intelligent data infrastructure company, today announced its intent to acquire PEAK:AIO, a pioneer in next-generation metadata architecture and high-performance parallel file systems. The planned acquisition is expected to accelerate NetApp's AI infrastructure roadmap by augmenting metadata services and parallel namespace innovation designed to help AI clouds scale shared storage alongside growing GPU clusters. As AI becomes embedded in every enterprise workload, organizations are confronting a new challenge: traditional storage architectures were not designed for the unprecedented scale, concurrency, and performance requirements of AI factories, AI clouds, and next-generation data-intensive applications. NetApp is building an architecture that disaggregates metadata fr
MultiBank Group Secures Two Awards at Forex Expo Dubai 202625.9.2026 14:57:00 CEST | Press release
The Group was recognised for the strength of its global institutional ecosystem and its contribution to financial markets innovation and community impact MultiBank Group, one of the world’s largest financial derivatives institutions, received two awards during its participation at Forex Expo Dubai 2026, held on 22 and 23 September at Dubai World Trade Centre. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260925539591/en/ MultiBank Group was named “Best Global Institutional Financial Ecosystem of the Year” and received the award for “Excellence in Global Financial Markets Innovation and Community Impact.” The Group was named “Best Global Institutional Financial Ecosystem of the Year” and received the award for “Excellence in Global Financial Markets Innovation and Community Impact.” The first award recognised the strength and breadth of MultiBank Group’s global institutional offering, which brings together trading, liquidity
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