Why Different Iron(III)-oxyhydroxide Complexes have Different PK/PD Characteristics and Specific Reactivities

Polynuclear iron(III)-oxyhydroxide carbohydrate complexes (pn-ICC) for parenteral, mainly intravenous application are individual compounds/molecules that can be described as prodrugs. They contain iron in a specific reactive form minimizing toxic reactions and allowing it to be incorporated into the hem of hemoglobin, into ferritin, transferrin and various enzymes, among others of the respiratory chain. Such drugs with medium molecular weights of more than 30,000 Daltons (containing more than 200 iron atoms per molecule) are colloidal solutions of nanoparticles which can interact specifically and lead to different reactions at the bio-interface depending on the charge and stabilizer (carbohydrates and their derivatives) [1,2].