Iranian Researchers Develop Iron Injection to Treat Anemia

Mehdi Roohi Razelighi, managing director of an Iranian knowledge-based company told Iranian media that his company's drug is an iron injection supplement containing iron nanoparticles.

He said that this medicinal product is produced only in a Swiss company which is highly effective in treating  the illness.

He said that iron medicine have been imported into the country for several years, noting that as the country is under sanctions, supplying the imported iron injection faces restrictions.

He added that importing the injection costs the country $ 5 million each year.

He went on to say that the iron injection supplements come with advantages over other types of the iron drugs.

Roohi stated that this drug is prescribed for people suffering from anemia and this product is highly effective in reducing the severity of the disease.

“In this company, we achieved the formulation of 10 mg vials containing iron nanoparticles and the produced drug is slow release,” he asserted.

The managing director of this knowledge-based company pointed out that the patients with anemia usually use oral iron supplements like tablets, but, he said, the oral supplements come with side effects such as digestive problems. However, he said, the injection type of the drug do not cause such problems.

Emphasizing that iron injections is injected directly into the vein and can have the advantages paralleled  with oral type of the drug.

“Nanoparticles were used in the manufacture of this drug. The nanoparticles used in this injection are polymeric, which are also highly absorbable due to the presence of these nanoparticles, and since the drug is slow release, meaning that it is gradually released, it does not have many complications that the oral drugs have. For that, people can receive a high dose of iron to get over their anemia.”

"From an industrial pharmaceuticals perspective, the absorption rate of oral iron is less than 10% and even lower at 1% to 2%. Therefore, the patient has to take 2 mg or 2 mg each day. …The absorption rate of oral drugs is really low. This is while, injection vial produced in this company are 500 mg and is all injected into the vein and absorbed by the body. Reducing consumption of the drug and reducing side effects are among the advantages of this nano iron injection,” he explained more.

Rouhi noted the patient needs iron injection once monthly, adding, “The drug can be injected into a serum, diluted and can be injected into the patient’s body. It is able to significantly increase the patient's hemoglobin levels in the first month.”

The managing director of the company continued to say that the drug was produced based on the Swiss sample formulation, saying that the product has completed its research and trial phase, expressing hope that the injection will get to the market next year.

“This will save the country $ 5 million,” he noted.

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