Shield Therapeutics plc said it will assume full commercial responsibility for ACCRUFeR (ferric maltol) in the United States under an agreement with Viatris Inc., ending a co-marketing arrangement that began in 2022.
The transaction, announced on August 27, 2026, is expected to close on September 30, 2026. Shield will take control of pricing, market access, promotional strategy and sales operations for ACCRUFeR in the U.S., including access to prescriber, payer and patient data.
No upfront payment will be made to Viatris. Shield will instead pay royalties on U.S. net sales, starting in the high single digits and rising to the mid-teens over a five-year period. The company will retain gross profit from all U.S. sales of the iron deficiency therapy.
The deal is expected to reinforce Shield’s outlook for operational profitability in 2026 and is projected to be immediately accretive through higher net sales retention, improved margins and increased cash generation. Shield will host an investor webinar on September 1, 2026 at 18:15 Brasília time to discuss the transaction.
Anders Lundstrom, Shield’s chief executive, said the agreement marks a strategic milestone and reflects progress in establishing ACCRUFeR as the leading branded oral iron prescription therapy in the U.S. for iron deficiency.
