OBJECTIVES: Many IDA treatments have not been directly compared in head-to-head clinical trials. Oral ferric maltol (Feraccru) is currently indicated in the UK in adults for the treatment of iron deficiency. The objective of this study was to compare ferric maltol to other available treatments for ID and IDA including mixed populations and those in patients with IBD, HUB, pregnancy, post partum and cancer, but excluding CHF and CKD, identified through a systematic literature review (SLR) and using a Bayesian NMA.

METHODS: A comprehensive SLR was performed to identify all RCTs of IDA treatments. 7 comparators to ferric maltol were identified and included: infused ferric carboxymaltose, iron isomaltoside, iron sucrose, iron dextran and ferumoxytol; oral iron and placebo. A Bayesian (“mixed evidence”) NMA was performed using a random effects model in WINBUGS comparing Hgb change in patients treated with ferric maltol and other available treatments for IDA excluding CHF and CKD. Both the 12-week measurement (randomised phase) and 64-week measurement (extension phase) from the Phase III RCT were assessed for ferric maltol.

RESULTS: CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge, this is the first study comparing IDA treatments excluding CHF and CKD patients using a mixed evidence approach. Based on the NMA, ferric maltol showed favourability over the other identified comparators. Results were limited by the lack of informative priors.