Could taking iron every other day be just as good?

NCT ID NCT07014371

Disease control Sponsor: Phramongkutklao College of Medicine and Hospital Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026

Summary

This study tests whether taking an iron pill every other day works as well as taking one daily for adults with iron deficiency anemia. About 114 participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups for 8 weeks. Researchers will check blood levels and side effects to see if the less frequent dosing is easier to tolerate without losing effectiveness.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance: Ferrous fumarate (oral iron supplement)
What this could lead to: If alternate-day dosing works as well as daily dosing, it could offer a simpler, more tolerable way to treat iron deficiency anemia.
What could go wrong: This is a small, early-stage trial (114 people) comparing dosing schedules, not a new treatment. Results may not apply to everyone, and side effects like stomach upset are possible.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

About 114 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Started

Jun 2025

Expected to finish

Dec 2027

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

20 years and older

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Male or female patients aged ≥20 years diagnosed with iron deficiency anemia, defined as: hemoglobin (Hb) \<13 g/dL in males or \<12 g/dL in females, and ferritin \<50 ng/mL or transferrin saturation (TSAT) \<20%. * No iron supplementation within the past 3 months. Exclusion Criteria: * Hemodynamic instability (e.g., acute bleeding or hypotension). * Severe heart failure (New York Heart Association \[NYHA\] Class III-IV) or other active cardiac diseases. * Active malignancy or history of cancer within the past 3 years (except non-melanoma skin cancer). * Pregnancy or breastfeeding. * Chronic liver disease including cirrhosis (Child-Pugh class B or C). * Chronic kidney disease (estimated glomerular filtration rate \[eGFR\] \<60 mL/min/1.73 m²). * Clinically significant thalassemia or hemoglobinopathies. * Ongoing infection or chronic inflammatory diseases (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease). * Malabsorption disorders (e.g., history of bariatric surgery). * Red blood cell transfusion within the past 3 months. Withdrawal Criteria * Withdrawal of informed consent. * Severe adverse events requiring permanent discontinuation of study medication. * Investigator's judgment that continued participation poses a safety risk. * Non-adherence to study medication (compliance \< 75%). Treatment Failure \- Increase in hemoglobin level of \< 1 g/dL at Week 4 or Week 8 compared with baseline.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

iron deficiency anemia

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Iron deficiency anemia treatment

How to take part

Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.

The places running it

1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
The official record

ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.

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A doctor treating you

A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.

Could taking iron every other day be just as good?

What the study statuses mean