Research and development · Sweden
FERROVITOS
Research in iron health
Oral ferrous succinate
Women’s iron health and clinical development
The research. The evidence. The collaboration.
Ferrovitos runs the Bio Vitos research and development projects within the EU, together with Swedish and European research partners.
www.ferrovitos.com
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Bio Vitos research, within the EU
Ferrovitos is the Swedish research and development company that Bio Vitos is forming to run the group’s research projects within the European Union.
Bio Vitos Limited is registered in England and Wales and is therefore outside the EU. The research needs a base inside the Union to take full part in Swedish and European research and innovation programmes, to apply for public research funding and to work with EU universities and hospitals as a project partner.
Ferrovitos is that platform. It takes over the research and development work on oral ferrous succinate: clinical studies, formulation, dose, quality and regulatory science. The team is the same as at Bio Vitos.
Ferrovitos AB is being registered in Sweden as a wholly owned subsidiary of Bio Vitos Limited. The company number and address will be published here once registration is complete.
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One compound, several clinical questions
The research starts from one compound class, ferrous succinate, and tests it in several defined programmes.
| Programme | Focus | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Fe-Minin | Women’s iron health | The FEMININ study is completed according to the company. Analysis and the final report remain. |
| MAXFERMAN | Men aged 25–55 | Planned six-week study with 80 participants. The ethics application has been submitted. |
| SUCCIFER | Oral ferrous-succinate platform | Formulation, dose and classification are set per product and market. |
| Succifer HF | Iron deficiency in heart failure | Published pilot study. A controlled study is planned. |
| FE-MINI | Children | Conditional planning programme. No protocol has been approved. |
The programmes are research and development projects. Efficacy, safety and tolerability have to be shown in their own controlled studies before any claim about a product can be made.
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Published pilot study
INOFER gave a biochemical signal that supports further research on iron succinate in heart failure.
Boman and Olofsson, 2021: an open-label, single-centre pilot with 20 non-anaemic patients with heart failure and iron deficiency, followed for at least three months. The study had no placebo or control group.
| Measure | Baseline | 6 weeks | End of study |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ferritin, µg/L | 47 | 78 | 85 |
| TSAT, % | 20 | 27 | 25 |
These are within-group changes. They do not show that the treatment is better than any other iron treatment, or that it improves physical function, hospitalisation or survival. Four patients stopped the study medication early. The next step is a controlled study with defined endpoints.
Source: Boman K, Olofsson M. World Journal of Cardiovascular Diseases 2021;11:11–19. doi:10.4236/wjcd.2021.111002
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Research areas
The work Ferrovitos carries out, and which applications for research funding cover.
CLINICAL DEVELOPMENT
Controlled studies
Study design, endpoints, statistical analysis plans and safety follow-up, together with investigators at universities and hospitals.
FORMULATION
Formulation and dose
Dosage form, dose and combinations for oral ferrous succinate, with documented quality and stability.
BIOMARKERS
Biomarkers and follow-up
Iron status over time: ferritin, transferrin saturation, hepcidin and other markers that can make follow-up more precise.
TOLERABILITY
Safety and tolerability
Systematic recording of adverse events and discontinuations, so that tolerability can be compared with established iron salts.
QUALITY
Manufacturing and quality
Supplier qualification, GMP, quality agreements and clinical trial supply ahead of each study.
REGULATORY
Regulatory science
Classification per product and market: food supplement, food for special medical purposes or medicinal product.
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Built for European research collaboration
As a Swedish company, Ferrovitos can be a partner in applications to Swedish and European research and innovation programmes, for example at Vinnova and within Horizon Europe.
What we are looking for
Academic partners, clinical investigators and consortia who want to run controlled studies on iron deficiency and iron health: in women, men, children and in heart failure.
What we bring
A defined research compound, a published pilot study, ongoing clinical programmes and a team with experience in clinical research and drug development.
Funding, data, research results and intellectual property between Ferrovitos, Bio Vitos and research partners are governed by written agreements for each project.
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The group
Ferrovitos is the Bio Vitos research and development company within the EU.
Dr Vitos Limited, which develops digital health services, is a separate company and is not part of the Ferrovitos operations.
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Team
The same team that runs Bio Vitos.
Leadership, medicine and research
Leads the company, its funding and its partnerships.
Responsible for the medical and clinical direction.
Professor at Linköping University. Leads the clinical studies scientifically.
Coordinates the MAXFERMAN study.
Markets, business development and digital health
Leads FERROVITOS’ commercial and marketing development across Europe, with experience from MedTech, digital health, healthcare and international business development.
ContributionTranslates clinical and scientific progress into a clear European proposition: market development, strategic partnerships, positioning and preparation for commercialisation in key European markets.
Brings technological and digital-health expertise to FERROVITOS’ work of combining pharmaceutical innovation with digital tools for awareness, identification and management of iron deficiency.
ContributionSupports scalable digital solutions that complement the pharmaceutical and clinical programmes, connecting life science with digital health.
Supports business development and operational execution as FERROVITOS moves from research and clinical development towards international commercialisation.
ContributionTurns strategic decisions into practical execution and coordinates activities across FERROVITOS’ growing network of partners.
Entrepreneur, marketing strategist and communications professional with decades of experience in building brands, concepts and large-scale projects. One of the founders behind Hultsfredsfestivalen and founder of Lollipop Festival, with a wide network across Scandinavian media, business and culture.
ContributionLeads FERROVITOS’ Nordic marketing, communications, media relations and brand positioning.
Responsible for FERROVITOS’ market development and commercial relationships across Asia, a large and fast-developing healthcare region with a substantial need for iron health solutions.
ContributionIdentifies commercial partners, distributors, strategic relationships and market-entry opportunities in selected Asian markets.
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Contact
Research collaborations, consortia and applications: get in touch and we will tell you more about the programmes.
info@biovitos.comCato Crogh · www.biovitos.com