EMA approves extension - to include adolescents

Shield Therapeutics PLC

31 March 2026

 

Shield Therapeutics plc

("Shield" or the "Company" or the "Group")

European Medicines Agency approves extension of the indication to include adolescents

London, UK, March 31 2026: Shield Therapeutics plc (LSE: STX), a commercial-stage pharmaceutical company specialising in iron deficiency, announces that the European Medicines Agency (EMA) have published the CHMP meeting highlights in which they confirm their adoption of a positive opinion for the extension of the indication for FeRACCRU® (ferric maltol) to include adolescents. FeRACCRU® will now be indicated for the treatment of iron deficiency in adult and pediatric patients 12 years of age and older. EMA have also confirmed that all measures in the agreed Pediatric Investigation Plan (PIP) for FeRACCRU® have been fulfilled.

The indication expansion was supported by positive results from the Phase 3 pediatric clinical trial (FORTIS/ST10-01-305) that confirmed the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of the new oral liquid pediatric formulation in children aged 1 month and above with iron deficiency, presenting as iron deficiency anemia (IDA).

Shield's licensing partner, Norgine B.V. holds the marketing authorisation and is responsible for commercialising FeRACCRU® in the European Union. Shield will receive a milestone payment of €500,000 from Norgine related to this EMA approval for the term of the agreement.

Anders Lundstrom, CEO of Shield, commented: "We are delighted with the EMA approval of FeRACCRU® for an adolescent population.  This follows on from the FDA approval of ACCRUFeR® for adolescents reported in December 2025, further expanding the geographic and age range of patients who can now benefit from a much needed safe and effective oral iron treatment."

For further information please contact:

Shield Therapeutics plc	www.shieldtherapeutics.com
Anders Lundstrom, CEO Santosh Shanbhag, CFO Stephanie Hicks, Investor Relations	[phone] [e-mail]
https://shieldtherapeutics.com/link/r69DGe Nominated Adviser and Joint Broker
Peel Hunt LLP
James Steel	[phone]
Joint Broker Cavendish Ltd Geoff Nash/ Isaac Hooper/Nigel Birks/Harriet Ward	[phone]

About Iron Deficiency and ACCRUFeR®/FeRACCRU®

Clinically low iron levels (aka iron deficiency, ID) can cause serious health problems for adults of all ages, across multiple therapeutic areas. Together, ID and ID with anemia (IDA) affect about 20 million people in the US and represent a $2.3B market opportunity. As the first and only FDA approved oral iron to treat ID/IDA, ACCRUFeR® has the potential to meet an important unmet medical need for both physicians and patients and is now the #1 branded prescription oral iron the market today (*data source - IQVIA Xponent PlanTrak).

ACCRUFeR®/FeRACCRU® (ferric maltol) is a novel, stable, non-salt-based oral therapy for adults with ID/IDA. The drug has a novel mechanism of absorption compared to other oral iron therapies and has been shown to be an efficacious and well-tolerated therapy in a range of clinical trials. More information about ACCRUFeR®/FeRACCRU®, including the product label, can be found at: www.accrufer.com and www.feraccru.com.

About Shield Therapeutics plc

Shield is a commercial stage specialty pharmaceutical company that delivers ACCRUFeR®/FeRACCRU® (ferric maltol), an innovative and differentiated pharmaceutical product, to address a significant unmet need for patients suffering from iron deficiency, with or without anemia. The Company has launched ACCRUFeR® in the U.S. to include pediatric patients 10 years of age and older with an exclusive, multi-year collaboration agreement with Viatris. Outside of the U.S., the Company has licensed the rights to five specialty pharmaceutical companies. FeRACCRU® is commercialised in the UK and European Union by Norgine B.V., to include pediatric patients 12 years of age and older and also have marketing rights in Australia and New Zealand. FeRACCRU® is also commercialised in Canada by Kye Pharmaceuticals Inc. Shield also has an exclusive license agreement with Beijing Aosaikang Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., for the development and commercialisation of ACCRUFeR®/FeRACCRU® in China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, with Korea Pharma Co., Ltd. for the Republic of Korea, and with Medleap Pharma Company Limited, a subsidiary of VITAL-NET Inc. for Japan.

ACCRUFeR®/FeRACCRU® has patent coverage until the mid-2030s.

ACCRUFeR®/FeRACCRU® are registered trademarks of Shield Therapeutics. 

Details of the FORTIS/ST10-01-305 Phase 3 study

The open label randomized Phase 3 study included children aged 1 month to 17 years with mild to moderate IDA, who also had serum ferritin levels below 30 μg/L or ferritin levels below 50 μg/L and transferrin saturation below 20%.  Children aged 2 to 17 years were randomized 1:1 to receive either ferric maltol (N=31) or ferrous sulphate
(N = 30).  Children 1 months to under 2 years (N=4) were all assigned to receive ferric maltol treatment. The full data sets have been submitted for peer-review and subsequent presentation/publication. The trial is the final study in the comprehensive pediatric development program that Shield committed to implement with both the European EMA and the US FDA.

 

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