Medical Innovations
IHAT (Iron Hydroxide Adipate Tartrate) a Nano-Fe(III) ferritin-mimetic that respects the physiology of natural iron
Iron is required for many vital functions. It is a key component of haemoglobin, carrying oxygen from lungs to tissue; it is part of the transport mechanism for electrons within cells and facilitates oxygen enzyme reactions. Iron deficiency (ID) occurs when a body either does not absorb enough iron to supply its needs or loses iron through blood loss.
Iron deficiency is the most common cause of anaemia (iron deficiency anaemia or “IDA”).
ID/IDA can be treated with oral or intravenous (IV) iron replacement. However, current oral treatments are not well tolerated, with patients often experiencing adverse side effects, and negatively impact the gut microbiome of patients.
Many conventional oral iron supplements are based on ferrous iron or ferric iron forms, which have been associated a plethora of gastrointestinal side effects, including disrupting the gut microbiome.1,2 In fact, most supplements provide large amounts of iron, of which only a small fraction is absorbed and reaches the blood circulation, while the majority stays in the gut, where it can be redox-reactive and drives microbiome imbalance.
By contrast, dietary ferritin, the natural ferric iron [Fe(III)] storage protein in plants and animals, is well absorbed within the enterocytes by endocytosis. It does not release free iron on the intestinal lining and so does not trigger the adverse side effects experienced with all iron supplements or exert a negative impact on the gut microbiome.
IHAT is a ferritin mimetic, with an iron core safely encapsulated in a nanoparticle ‘envelope’. The IHAT nanoparticle is safely and efficiently absorbed in the same way as dietary ferritin, after which it is broken down in the cells of the gut lining, safely releasing the iron core, which therefore cannot adversely interact with gut microbiome. and the body can then transport, store and use Iron derived from IHAT to correct markers of iron deficiency, without the burden of gastrointestinal side effects.
Listen to Dr Nuno Faria (CTO and member of our Scientific Advisory Board) explain this in this video.
Our IHAT-Nano-Fe (III) product is able to closely mimic normal dietary iron absorption in the gut. IHAT is absorbed as whole nanoparticles by enterocytes (the intestinal absorptive cells) and, unlike conventional iron supplements, does not require solubilisation in the stomach prior to its uptake. This means that the unabsorbed fraction, which is usually at least 70% of all ingested oral iron supplements, irrespective of the form, remains nanoparticulate and no ‘free’ iron is released along the gastrointestinal tract, minimising adverse impacts on the patient’s gastrointestinal tract lining and gut microbiome. Once absorbed, the iron derived from IHAT follows the normal homeostatic pathways for iron handling in the body.
IHAT was positively evaluated by European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), which concluded that it is a safe and bioavailable source of iron under the proposed conditions of use. Following this assessment, IHAT was authorised as a Novel Food in the European Union and added to Annex II, permitting its commercialisation across the EU.
IHAT is the foundation of a new generation of innovative iron supplements across Europe, setting a new standard in iron supplementation.
IHAT is commercialized in Italy and in other European countries under the TOLFER brand, as well as under different brands through our partners.
References:
- https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/ferrous-sulfate/ (accessed 27th July 2020)
- Simonyté Sjödin K, Domellöf M, Lagerqvist C, et al. Administration of ferrous sulfate drops has significant effects on the gut microbiota of iron-sufficient infants: a randomised controlled study: Gut 2019;68:2095-2097.