Welcome to The HCPFive, your go-to roundup for the latest healthcare news and breakthroughs, curated specifically for busy healthcare professionals.
Each week, we highlight 5 key developments or headlines from healthcare that you need to know—whether it’s a cutting-edge treatment, regulatory updates, or innovations shaping the future of medicine. This week’s top stories include US Food and Drug Administration approval of 2 generic versions of Venofer (iron sucrose) injection for the treatment of iron deficiency anemia in chronic kidney disease (CKD), ketamine (KetaRx) for surgical pain management, and zopapogene imadenovec-drba (Papzimeos) for adult patients with recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP), as well as a statement from the Heart Failure Society of America and the American Society for Preventive Cardiology on heart failure prevention and a joint guideline from the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology suggesting earlier treatment for high blood pressure to reduce cardiovascular disease risk.
With The HCPFive, you’ll get the essential takeaways to stay informed and ahead of the curve. Here’s your quick dive into the top stories for the week of August 10, 2025—let’s jump in!
FDA Approves 2 Generic Iron Sucrose Injections for Iron Deficiency Anemia in CKD
On August 11, 2025, the FDA approved generic versions of Venofer (iron sucrose) injection for the treatment of iron deficiency anemia in CKD from Viatris Inc and Amphastar Pharmaceuticals.
According to a press release from Viatris, Iron Sucrose Injection, USP, coined by the Company as the first generic version of Venofer Injection, is expected to be available imminently in single dose vials in the following strengths: 50 mg/2.5mL, 100mg/5mL and 200mg/10mL. In a separate release, Amphastar said its generic iron sucrose injection met the criteria for bioequivalence and therapeutic equivalence to Venofer and is expected to launch in the third quarter of 2025.
FDA Approves PharmaTher’s Ketamine for Surgical Pain Management
The same day, PharmaTher announced the FDA approval of ketamine (KetaRx) for surgical pain management. The decision follows 2 Complete Response Letters issued in October 22 2024, and April 2024 citing deficiencies in the Abbreviated New Drug Application for ketamine for anesthesia, sedation, pain, mental health, and neurological indications. The deficiencies were classified as minor, with the Agency requesting clarification on drug substance, drug product, manufacturing, and microbiology, but not requesting any new trials.
HFSA and ASPC Release Statement on Shifting to Prevention in Heart Failure
On August 13, 2025, the Heart Failure Society of America and the American Society for Preventive Cardiology released a joint statement calling for a shift in how clinicians approach heart failure treatment, prioritizing prevention and risk identification rather than accepting it as an inevitable outcome.
Published in the Journal of Cardiac Failure and the American Journal of Preventive Cardiology, the statement, titled “The Continuum of Prevention and Heart Failure in Cardiovascular Medicine,” presents a framework of potential preventive strategies across the various stages of heart failure, independent of ejection fraction. It also includes secondary prevention strategies in patients with established diseases and tertiary strategies in those with advanced therapies like heart transplants.
Zopapogene Imadenovec First Immunotherapy Approved for Recurrent Respiratory Papillomatosis
On August 14, 2025, the FDA approved Precigen’s zopapogene imadenovec-drba (Papzimeos) for the treatment of adult patients with RRP as the first-of-its-kind non-replicating adenoviral vector-based immunotherapy. The approval was supported by results from a single-arm, open-label trial evaluating zopapogene imadenovec in adult patients with RRP who required ≥ 3 surgeries per year.
AHA & ACC Release New Guidelines for High Blood Pressure to Reduce CVD Risk
On August 14, 2025, the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology released a joint guideline suggesting earlier treatment for high blood pressure to reduce cardiovascular disease risk.
The new release replaces the previous 2017 guideline, providing updated or new recommendations for blood pressure management. The collective organizations encourage physical activity, heart-healthy diets, and stress management to reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke, kidney disease, cognitive decline and dementia, and heart failure.