Absorption of Iron from Lactoferrin: A Study in Women with Iron Deficiency
Summary description of the study
We have developed new forms of lactoferrin, an iron-binding protein from milk, to treat iron deficiency. There are reasons to believe that these compounds represent an improvement over the iron compounds currently used to fortify foods with iron. The study will last 64 days. Each participant will come to the study center for a screening examination and, if enrolled in the study, will participate on 10 mornings. Participants will consume six test meals made from corn porridge and three from water, which contain the stabilized lactoferrin compounds and/or iron sulfate – one test meal per appointment. Each participant will go through all 9 test conditions. The iron compounds will be specifically labeled with stable isotopes, which are safe markers and allow researchers to track how much iron your body absorbs. To measure absorption, researchers will examine how much of the labeled iron is absorbed and used for the formation of new red blood cells 17 days later.
(BASEC)
Intervention under investigation
Iron Compounds
(BASEC)
Disease under investigation
Iron Deficiency
(BASEC)
• Women • Age: 18–45 years • Serum ferritin levels below 45 µg/L (BASEC)
Exclusion criteria
• Women with hemoglobin levels below 12 g/dL (measured during the pre-examination) • Women with acute or chronic diseases that affect iron absorption and iron metabolism • Individuals taking long-term medications that affect iron absorption, iron metabolism, or gut health (BASEC)
Trial sites
Zurich
(BASEC)
Sponsor
Laboratory of Clinical Biopharmacy, ETH Zurich
(BASEC)
Contact
Contact Person Switzerland
Prof. Dr. Nicole Stoffel
+41 44 632 8393
nicole.stoffel@clutterpharma.ethz.chInstitut für Pharmazeutische Wissenschaften
(BASEC)
Scientific Information
not available
Name of the authorising ethics committee (for multicentre studies, only the lead committee)
Ethics Committee Zurich
(BASEC)
Date of authorisation
30.01.2026
(BASEC)
ICTRP Trial ID
not available
Official title (approved by ethics committee)
Iron absorption from stabilized lactoferrin: an experimental study in iron-deficient women (LOBSTER) (BASEC)
Academic title
not available
Public title
not available
Disease under investigation
not available
Intervention under investigation
not available
Type of trial
not available
Trial design
not available
Inclusion/Exclusion criteria
not available
not available
Primary and secondary end points
not available
not available
Registration date
not available
Incorporation of the first participant
not available
Secondary sponsors
not available
Additional contacts
not available
Secondary trial IDs
not available
Results-Individual Participant Data (IPD)
not available
Further information on the trial
not available
Results of the trial
Results summary
not available
Link to the results in the primary register
not available