NCT05226169

Efficacy and Safety oF FErric CarboxymalTose in Patients With Advanced Gastric Cancer(EFFECT-AGC)

Randomized Controlled Trial of Intravenous Ferric Carboxymaltose for Iron-Deficiency Anemia in Patients With Advanced Gastric Cancer Receiving Palliative Chemotherapy

• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: Phase 3
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 330 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Asan Medical Center · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 19 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

The main objective of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of IV FCM(ferric carboxymaltose) in patients with AGC receiving palliative chemotherapy. This study will also evaluate the effect of IV FCM on the treatment outcomes of palliative chemotherapy in patients with gastric cancer receiving fluoropyrimidine and platinum-based regimen in the same 1st-line palliative setting.

Detailed description

Gastric cancer is associated with chronic blood loss, poor nutrition, and surgical interventions interfering with iron absorption, all of which synergistically increase the risk of iron-deficiency anemia (IDA). A retrospective review of gastric cancer reported that at the time of gastric cancer diagnosis, the prevalence of anemia was 58.7% and the overall prevalence of IDA was 40%. Moreover, patients with unresectable locally advanced or metastatic gastric cancer are treated with myelosuppressive chemotherapies, which further increases the risk for anemia. The absorption of oral iron in gastric cancer patients is limited due to malabsorption, ongoing gastrointestinal bleeding, and lack of adherence to treatment due to dyspepsia, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and constipation. Therefore, IV iron may be preferable due to easy administration, effective iron absorption, and infrequent complications in gastric cancer patients. • There are a number of IV iron formulations in the market; the recommended IV iron preparations are low-molecular-weight iron dextran, ferric gluconate, iron sucrose, ferric carboxymaltose (FCM), and ferumoxytol. FCM (FerinjectTM; Vifor Pharma, Glattbrugg, Switzerland) is a stable colloidal solution of nanoparticles which consist of a polynuclear iron (III)-(oxyhydr)oxide core stabilized by carboxymaltose, which allows slow and prolonged iron release, and is given as a single high-dose (1,000 mg of iron) in a 15-minute infusion. Based on extensive experience in clinical trial and real-world settings, IV FCM is an effective and generally well tolerated treatment for rapidly replenishing iron stores and correcting anemia in patients with ID or IDA of various etiologies. FCM was effective in patients with active malignancy and IDA (n=420), and hematological malignancies or solid tumors and anemia (n=367) in two real-world, noninterventional studies conducted in Germany and France. Recently, two prospective studies conducted in South Korea have reported a significant increase in Hb levels by treatment with IV FCM in patients with solid cancers (including gastric cancer) receiving chemotherapy and in patients with acute isovolemic anemia following gastrectomy. Therefore, the main objective of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of IV FCM in patients with AGC receiving palliative chemotherapy. This study will also evaluate the effect of IV FCM on the treatment outcomes of palliative chemotherapy in patients with gastric cancer receiving fluoropyrimidine and platinum-based regimen in the same 1st-line palliative setting.

Conditions

• Advanced Gastric Carcinoma

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DRUG	Ferinject	* Patients will receive an IV FCM (1,000 mg iron) infusion on the first day (visit 1) of chemotherapy. FCM (FerinjectTM; Vifor Pharma, Glattbrugg, Switzerland) will be diluted in 250 ml of sterile 0.9% normal saline by an aseptic technique and infused over 15 min under the supervision of a clinician. * Patients with a Hb level ≤ 10 g/dL and ID (serum ferritin \< 100 ng/mL or TSAT \< 50% and serum ferritin 100-500 ng/mL) will receive an additional dose of 500 mg of IV FCM at 6, 12, 24, 36, and 48 weeks. FCM will be diluted in 100 ml of sterile 0.9% normal saline by an aseptic technique and infused over 6 min under the supervision of a clinician.
OTHER	Conservative management	* Patients with absolute (must be administered) or functional (according to the physician's choice) IDA in the control arm will be received oral iron, administered as Feroba-You 256mg once or twice a day. Advice will be given regarding ingestion without food and with liquid high in ascorbic acid to maximize enteric absorption. * If patients in the control arm still meet the absolute or functional IDA at the end of study (at 48 weeks), they can receive IV FCM (1,000 mg) according to the physician's decision.

Timeline

• Start date: 2022-04-29
• Primary completion: 2026-11-30
• Completion: 2026-11-30
• First posted: 2022-02-07
• Last updated: 2026-04-03

Locations

1 site across 1 country: South Korea