Physicochemical and toxicological characterization of a new generic iron sucrose preparation

Intravenous iron preparations are key components in the management of anaemia of various etiologies. These iron-carbohydrate complexes permit safe systemic delivery of iron, whilst protecting from the potential toxic effects of over-saturation. This in turn permits efficient haematopoiesis following erythropoietin administration. Since the rate of release of iron is dependent upon the structure of this iron-carbohydrate complex, it is essential to ensure that an intravenous iron preparation is well characterized and its properties documented. This report describes physicochemical and toxicological studies into a new iron sucrose generic preparation, "Iron Sucrose Azad (ISA)", using the original iron sucrose product as reference. It could be demonstrated that the specifications and physicochemical characteristics of ISA reflect those of the reference product. Furthermore, in a rat model previously shown to identify possible toxicological effects of "unsimilar" iron sucrose preparations, ISA was found to have the same properties as the reference product, with both being well tolerated.