Bielesz B, Lorenz M, Monteforte R, et al. - Among patients on prevalent hemodialysis, an equal cumulative dose of ferric carboxymaltose given less frequently did not meet noninferiority for maintaining hemoglobin levels relative to iron sucrose given more frequently.

• This is an open-label, randomized, controlled noninferiority trial over 40 weeks in 142 patients on prevalent hemodialysis; 108 patients completed the study.

• Patients were given 2 g iron as 100 mg iron sucrose biweekly in a continuous (20 × 100 mg) fashion or 500 mg ferric carboxymaltose every 10 weeks in a periodic (4 × 500 mg) fashion.

• Relative to baseline, hemoglobin altered by −0.27 g/dl in the iron sucrose arm and by −0.74 g/dl in the ferric carboxymaltose arm at 40 weeks.

• Noninferiority was not established as hemoglobin alterations relative to baseline differed by −0.47 g/dl in the ferric carboxymaltose arm vs the iron sucrose arm.

• Compared with baseline, proportional alterations at week 40 varied by −31% for ferritin, by 1% for transferrin, and by −27% for transferrin saturation in the ferric carboxymaltose arm vs the iron sucrose arm.

• Similar was the overall number of adverse events; but more infections occurred in the iron sucrose arm.