Iron Deficiency in Women

In women, iron deficiency (ID) and iron deficiency anemia (IDA) may present with subtle symptoms like fatigue, headaches, and dizziness that can persist over time and can cause increased morbidity if left untreated.18,64

Black woman smiling in front of a yellow background

ID/IDA disproportionately affects women

  • On average, women only have enough stored iron for about six months, while men have enough for about three years.55
  • About 1 in 5 women experience excessive blood loss from menstruation, a leading cause of IDA for women in their 40s.18
  • In a study consisting mostly of women, 58% diagnosed with ID still had low iron levels three years later.57

ID/IDA risk factors across women's lives

Nearly one-third of women will experience ID/IDA in their lifetimes.18,26

  1. Pre-Reproductive Years
    • Puberty and Growth Spurts
  2. Reproductive Years
    • Menorrhagia
    • Pregnancy
  3. Perimenopause
    • Uterine Fibroids
       
  4. Postmenopause
    • Poor Iron Absorption

The additional risk factors below are not limited to specific time ranges:18,24

  • Chronic inflammation
  • Diets lacking in iron
  • High intensity sports
  • Heavy exercise
  • Plant-based diet

The ACCRUFeR impact

ACCRUFeR® (ferric maltol) works differently than traditional iron treatments because it's designed differently.3,4 Clinical studies prove that ACCRUFeR’s patented MALTOL SHIELD™ makes the difference, achieving the following benefits for patients:

MALTOL SHIELD(TM) closed: Protects iron from oxidizing in the stomach MALTOL SHIELD (TM) opened: Releases iron only when ready for absorption in the small intestine Unused ACCRUFeR excreted: Stays protected, helping patients avoid free iron and irritation

2.25 g/dL mean Hb change (vs 0.06 g/dL with placebo) from baseline to week 12. Statistical significance achieved by week 4.1,2

97% median overall treatment compliance rate across a 12-week study with a 52-week open-label extension.1

4.6% of patients taking ACCRUFeR (n=175) discontinued treatment due to adverse GI reactions, compared with 2.5% of patients taking a placebo (n=120).2,7

Neither short- nor long-term ACCRUFeR treatment led to iron overload.7

About ACCRUFeR

See how ACCRUFeR's MALTOL SHIELDTM helps minimize the risk of gastrointestinal side effects.2-4

Established Safety and Efficacy

ACCRUFeR is backed by a robust clinical profile. It has demonstrated both short- and long-term efficacy across three pivotal clinical studies.

References:
1. Schmidt C, Ahmad T, Tulassay Z, et al. Ferric maltol therapy for iron deficiency anaemia in patients with inflammatory bowel disease: long-term extension data from a phase 3 study. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2016;44(3):259-270. doi:10.1111/apt.13665

2. ACCRUFeR® full prescribing information. Shield Therapeutics, 2025.
3. Stallmach A, Büning C. Ferric maltol (ST10): a novel oral iron supplement for the treatment of iron deficiency anemia in inflammatory bowel disease. Expert Opin Pharmacother. 2015;16(18):2859-2867. doi:10.1517/14656566.2015.1096929
4. European Medicines Agency. Accessed March 17, 2021. https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/variation-report/feraccru-h-c-2733-ii-0010-epar- assessment-report-variation_en.pdf.
5. Gasche C, Ahmad T, Zsolt T, et al. Ferric maltol is effective in correcting iron deficiency anemia in patients with inflammatory bowel disease: results from a phase-3 clinical trial program. Inflamm Bowel Dis. 2015;21:579-588.
6. Pergola PE, Kopyt NP. Oral ferric maltol for the treatment of iron-deficiency anemia in patients with CKD: a randomized trial and open-label extension [published online ahead of print, May 21, 2021]. Am J Kidney Dis. 2021;S0272-6386(21)00624-7.
7. Data on file. Shield Therapeutics Inc. 2019.
18. Friedman AJ, Chen Z, Ford P, et al. Iron deficiency anemia in women across life span. J Womens Health (Larchmt).2012;21(12):1282-1289
24. Cappellini MD, Musallam KM, Taher AT. Iron deficiency anaemia revisited. J Intern Med. 2020;287(2):153-170. doi:10.1111/joim.13004
26. Anaemia in women and children. World Health Organization. 2021. Accessed October 30, 2023. https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/themes/topics/anaemia_in_women_and_children
55. “The Importance of Iron in Your Body.” American Red Cross, https://www.redcrossblood.org/local-homepage/news/article/iron-in-blood.html
57. Cogan JC, Meyer J, Jiang Z, Sholzberg M. Iron deficiency resolution and time to resolution in an American health system. Blood Adv. 2024 Aug 15:bloodadvances.2024013197. doi: 10.1182/ bloodadvances.2024013197. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39145727.
64. Iron-deficiency anemia. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Accessed May 10, 2026. Updated March 24, 2022. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/anemia/iron-deficiency-anemia