Official Title

Effect of Intravenous Iron (Ferinject®) on Exercise Capacity and Quality of Life of Stable COPD Patients
  • Phase

    Phase 4
  • Study Type

    Interventional
  • Status

    Unknown status
  • Intervention/Treatment

    ferric carboxymaltose ...
  • Study Participants

    20
Disordered iron metabolism characterizes an important determinant of impaired exercise tolerance and work capacity. Iron-deficiency anemia commonly features impaired aerobic capacity caused by decreased oxygen carrying capacity, and has been associated with a negative effect on dyspnea and walking distance.

Apart from that, iron deficiency without anemia was shown to affect endurance and energetic efficiency via decreased tissue oxidative capacity. Consequently, depleted iron stores could be capable of causing fatigue, breathlessness and impaired exercise tolerance, which are common features of chronic cardiopulmonary diseases like chronic heart failure (CHF) and COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease). Indeed, a current surge of interest aimed at potential underlying determinants in CHF and COPD independent of the primarily disordered organ.

Recent studies identified iron deficiency without anemia as an independent factor of reduced exercise intolerance in CHF as well as in COPD. Moreover, intravenous iron application significantly improved exercise capacity in CHF patients with iron deficiency in presence as well as in absence of anemia. Comparable to CHF, the daily living of patients with COPD is compromised by impaired exercise tolerance.

However, airflow limitation, as the foremost characteristic of COPD shows only weak associations with exercise capacity. In line with that, exercise capacity showed no remarkable improvement in lung transplant recipients, underlining the presence of systemic determinants of limited exercise tolerance like iron deficiency. The investigators showed that iron deficiency is present in 50% of stable COPD patients (unpublished data), which is according to recently published data.

The investigators presume that iron deficiency contributes to limited exercise capacity in COPD patients. Thus, the aim of this study is to determine whether iv iron is associated with increases exercise capacity in COPD.

Therefore the investigators hypothesize that filling up depleted iron storages will increase exercise capacity, measured by the 6-MWT (Minute Walking Test).
Study Started
Feb 28
2015
Primary Completion
Feb 28
2017
Anticipated
Study Completion
Feb 28
2017
Anticipated
Last Update
Sep 28
2016
Estimate

Drug Ferric carboxymaltose, Ferinject® 50mg Iron/ml Solution for Injection / Infusion

Treatment Arm Experimental

Ferric carboxymaltose, Ferinject® 50mg Iron/ml Solution for Injection / Infusion will be administered in patients with COPD

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

Diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease according to the current guidelines
Evidence of irreversible airflow obstruction on spirometry (i.e. an increase of less than 200ml and 15% in the post-bronchodilator FEV1)
30% < FEV1 < 80% predicted
Stable COPD medication: no dose changes in COPD medication within last 4 weeks
Age of 40 to 75 years
Body mass index < 30 kg/m2
Iron deficiency:

ferritin <100 ng/mL or ferritin 100-300 ng/mL when TSAT (Transferrin saturation) <20%

Hb between 9.5 and 13.5 g/dL
MMRC (Modified Medical Research Council Scale) 0 to 3
Patient must be able to perform the bicycle exercise test according to investigator

Exclusion Criteria:

Meeting contraindications of iv iron administration
Known active infection
C-reactive protein>20 mg/L
clinically significant bleeding
active malignancy
History of congestive heart failure
BNP (Brain Natriuretic Peptide) ≥ 250 pg/ml
Evidence of myocardial ischemia during Cardiopulmonary Exercise Test (CPET) (i.e. chest pain or signs of ischemia in ECG)
uncontrolled Hypertension
other clinical significant chronic heart disease
Acute myocardial infarction or acute coronary syndrome, transient ischaemic attack or stroke within the last 3 months
History of peripheral artery occlusive disease
Typical claudication
Anaemia due to reasons other than iron deficiency (e.g.haemoglobinopathy)
History of erythropoietin, i.v. or oral iron therapy, and blood transfusion in previous 12 weeks and/or such therapy planned within the next 6 months
Immunosuppressive therapy or renal dialysis
ALT (Alanine Aminotransferase) or AST (Aspartate Aminotransferase) >3times upper limit of normal
Hemochromatosis
Significant lung diseases other than COPD
pulmonary hypertension (maximum of velocity tricuspid regurgitation > 2,8m/sec)
Exacerbation within prior 4 weeks
> 1 exacerbation within last year
bronchoscopic lung volume reduction (BLVR)
Malignancy within the past 5 years
Autoimmune diseases
Rheumatoid diseases
Chronic renal failure (defined through: eGFR (Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate) < 60 ml/min)
Active diet
Physical rehabilitation training
Pregnancy, breast feeding
Participation in other therapeutic trial
No Results Posted