Captafer

Captafer is an iron-free oral food supplement designed to enhance the intestinal absorption of dietary iron. Developed by Medestea, it contains a standardized fraction of hydrolyzed sea fish cartilage (rich in glycosaminoglycans and oligosaccharides) along with a mixture of antioxidants and minerals, including Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Folic acid, Zinc, and Copper. The primary mechanism involves mimicking the "meat factor" to increase the bioavailability of non-heme iron by 3 to 5 times. It is primarily used as an alternative to traditional oral iron salts for treating iron deficiency anemia, particularly in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) who may not tolerate standard iron supplements due to gastrointestinal side effects or disease exacerbation.

Brand names

Captafer

Other names

Captafer Medestea