Drugs › Parenteral iron replacement
Generic name
Sodium ferric gluconate complex: adverse event reports filed with FDA
419 reports list it as a suspect or interacting product, 2011–2026. Class: Parenteral iron replacement.
- 419
- reports as suspect product
- 0% of all reports · about 27 a year
- 51
- reports, 12 months to June 2026
- 61 in the 12 months before
- 93.6%
- marked serious by the reporter
- 57.1% across the class
- 68.7%
- record death among outcomes, as reported
- 288 reports · not verified by FDA
419 adverse event reports received by FDA list sodium ferric gluconate complex, a generic name as a suspect or interacting product, from February 2011 to June 2026. A further 90 reports list it only as a concomitant medication, and those are not counted in the figures on this page.
In the 12 months to June 2026, 51 reports listed it, down 16% from 61 in the 12 months before. FDA releases FAERS data quarterly, so the newest months are incomplete and grow in later releases. Over its reporting history that is about 27 reports a year and 0% of the 20,646,523 reports in the database, and 2.6% of the reports for the parenteral iron replacement class. How many people take it is not in the data, so a count is not a rate of occurrence.
The MedDRA terms listed most often are abdominal distension (58.7%), multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (57.5%) and sepsis (57.5%). A report can list several reactions, so shares add to more than 100%; 151 different terms appear across these reports. Abdominal distension is recorded in 58.7% of these reports, a larger share than in the median parenteral iron replacement drug (0.1%).
93.6% of the reports are marked serious by the reporter (57.1% across the class); 68.7% record death among the outcomes and 49.2% record hospitalisation, as reported. 69.7% of the reports came from other health professionals, and the largest patient age group is 75 and over (66.1%). FDA states that "a causal relationship cannot be established between product and reactions listed in a report" and that for any given report "there is no certainty that a suspected drug caused the event."
Reports by month, five years
Reports by the month FDA received them. FDA releases FAERS data quarterly, so the newest months are incomplete and grow in later releases.
By year received
2026 covers reports received through June 2026 only.
Reactions recorded in the reports
share of Sodium ferric gluconate complex reports recording the termmedian drug in parenteral iron replacement
- Abdominal distensiona bloated abdomen58.7%246
- Multiple organ dysfunction syndromeseveral organs failing57.5%241
- Sepsisa severe body-wide response to infection57.5%241
- Abdominal painstomach or belly pain57.3%240
- Appendicitis57.3%240
- Ascitesfluid in the abdomen57.3%240
- Vomitingbeing sick57%239
- General physical health deteriorationgeneral decline in health56.8%238
- Hyponatraemialow blood sodium56.8%238
- Appendicolith56.3%236
- Nauseafeeling sick56.3%236
- Stressstress56.3%236
- Cardiogenic shockshock from the heart failing to pump56.1%235
- Constipationconstipation54.2%227
- Off label useused for a purpose or in a way not on the label50.6%212
- Ventricular fibrillationa chaotic rhythm from the lower heart chambers50.1%210
- Condition aggravatedthe condition being treated got worse39.1%164
- Blood phosphorus increased38.4%161
- Somnolencedrowsiness37.9%159
- Dry mouthdry mouth36.3%152
- Myasthenia gravis32.7%137
- Blood cholesterol increasedraised cholesterol32.5%136
- Anaemialow red blood cells30.5%128
- Swellingswelling30.5%128
- Blood uric acid increasedraised uric acid30.1%126
- Diabetes mellitusdiabetes30.1%126
- Bacterial infectiona bacterial infection29.8%125
- Drug hypersensitivityan allergic-type reaction to a medicine29.8%125
- Intentional product misusedeliberate use not as intended29.8%125
- Thrombosis29.8%125
Top 30 of 151 MedDRA preferred terms recorded across these reports, with a plain-language gloss where one is available. One report can record several terms. The hollow bar is the median share across the 9 drugs in the parenteral iron replacement class; it describes the reports, not the patients. FDA states that adverse event reports "represent a small percentage of total usage numbers of a product", that "common products may have a higher number of adverse events due to the higher total number of people using the product", and that the data "by themselves are not an indicator of the safety profile of the drug or biologic."
Outcomes recorded
Outcome flags as the reporter set them; a report can carry several, and "other serious" is FDA's own category for serious reports outside the named outcomes. Grey bar: all 16,234 reports in the class. FDA has not verified any outcome and states that the reports "cannot be used to estimate the incidence of these events."
Patients and reporters
Patient age
Patient sex
Who reported
Age and sex as stated in the report; the reporter's qualification is the primary source recorded by FDA. 25.8% of reports give the United States as the country of the event or reporter.
Reason for use recorded
| Indication as recorded (MedDRA) | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Iron deficiency | 240 | 57.3% |
| Iron deficiency anaemia | 23 | 5.5% |
| Anaemia | 20 | 4.8% |
The indication field is filled in by the reporter and is often blank; shares are of all 419 reports.
In context
| Measure | Sodium ferric gluconate complex | Parenteral iron replacement | All reports |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reports as suspect product | 419 | 16,234 | 20,646,523 |
| Share of that pool | — | 2.6% | 0% |
| Reports, latest 12 months | 51 | — | 1,332,454 |
| Marked serious | 93.6% | 57.1% | 57.4% |
| Death recorded among outcomes, per 1,000 reports | 687 | 51 | 91 |
| Hospitalisation recorded, per 1,000 reports | 492 | 188 | 213 |
| Consumer-filed share | 3.8% | 24.9% | 45.8% |
| Top term, share of reports | Abdominal distension 58.7% | median 0.1% | 0.5% |
Shares are of reports, not of patients treated. The number of people taking a product is not in the data, so none of these figures is a rate, and differences between columns reflect who takes a product, who reports and how long it has been sold. FDA states that adverse event reports "represent a small percentage of total usage numbers of a product", that "common products may have a higher number of adverse events due to the higher total number of people using the product", and that the data "by themselves are not an indicator of the safety profile of the drug or biologic."
Other drugs in the parenteral iron replacement class
| Drug | Name type | Reports | Latest 12 months | Marked serious |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Venofer (iron sucrose) | generic | 5,417 | 390 | 73.4% |
| Injectafer | brand | 2,813 | 14 | 41.3% |
| Auryxia | brand | 1,660 | 29 | 24.1% |
| Feraheme | brand | 1,541 | 20 | 60.9% |
| Ferric carboxymaltose | generic | 1,395 | 225 | 67.6% |
| Ferrlecit | brand | 1,174 | 77 | 72.4% |
| Accrufer | brand | 951 | 567 | 13.8% |
| Infed | brand | 665 | 100 | 50.1% |
| Iron sucrose | generic | 618 | 246 | 86.2% |
Ordered by report count for navigation only. FDA states that adverse event reports "represent a small percentage of total usage numbers of a product", that "common products may have a higher number of adverse events due to the higher total number of people using the product", and that the data "by themselves are not an indicator of the safety profile of the drug or biologic." A brand and its generic are separate rows because reporters name them separately.
Questions about Sodium ferric gluconate complex reports
How many adverse event reports has FDA received for Sodium ferric gluconate complex?
419 reports list Sodium ferric gluconate complex as a suspect or interacting product in the openFDA FAERS release of 28 Sep 2026, covering reports received through June 2026. 51 of them arrived in the latest 12 months. Another 90 list it only as a concomitant medication.
What reactions are recorded in Sodium ferric gluconate complex reports?
abdominal distension (58.7%), multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (57.5%), sepsis (57.5%), abdominal pain (57.3%) and appendicitis (57.3%). These are MedDRA preferred terms coded from what the reporter described; a report can list several, and a term's presence is not a finding that Sodium ferric gluconate complex was responsible.
How serious are the reports?
93.6% are marked serious by the reporter. Among the outcomes recorded, 68.7% of reports include death and 49.2% include hospitalisation. FDA has not verified these outcomes and states that the reports "cannot be used to estimate the incidence" of the events.
Who files these reports?
other health professional (69.7%), pharmacist (12.4%) and physician (10.3%). Most reports reach FDA through the manufacturer, which must forward reports it receives.
Are reports for Sodium ferric gluconate complex rising?
51 reports in the 12 months to June 2026, down 16% from 61 in the 12 months before. FDA releases FAERS data quarterly, so the newest months are incomplete and grow in later releases. Counts also move with how many people take a product, its time on the market and publicity.
Do these reports show that Sodium ferric gluconate complex was responsible for these reactions?
No. FDA states that "a causal relationship cannot be established between product and reactions listed in a report" and that for any given report "there is no certainty that a suspected drug caused the event." The reaction may relate to the condition being treated, to other medicines, or to something else.
Is this a list of the side effects of Sodium ferric gluconate complex?
No. It is a count of what was reported to FDA. The adverse reactions observed in clinical studies are printed on the FDA-approved label, which a pharmacist or clinician can go through with you.
How do I report an adverse event?
Consumers and health professionals can report to FDA through MedWatch (Form FDA 3500 online, or 1-800-FDA-1088), or to the manufacturer, which must pass reports on. See the guide on how to report.
Where this comes from. Counts are built from the openFDA Drug Adverse Event (FAERS) bulk export released 28 Sep 2026, which holds reports FDA received through 30 Jun 2026. Drug names are as reported, resolved to the brand or generic name on the FDA label where openFDA's harmonisation matched them; classes are the pharmacologic class (EPC) from the label and the National Drug Code Directory of 17 Sep 2026. A report counts here when it lists Sodium ferric gluconate complex as a suspect or interacting product; reports listing it only as a concomitant medication (90) are excluded. No report narrative, lot number, patient detail or reporter identity is published. See the methodology and sources; FDA's record is authoritative, and corrections are handled within five working days.
Drug data (FAERS) through 30 Jun 2026; device data (MAUDE) through 31 Aug 2026. Not medical advice.