What Vifor Pharma does

Vifor Pharma, now operating as CSL Vifor following CSL Limited's August 2022 acquisition, is a Switzerland-headquartered specialty pharmaceutical company focused on iron deficiency and nephrology therapies. The company's origins trace to 1872 when pharmacist Caspar Friedrich Hausmann opened a pharmacy in St. Gallen, giving it over 150 years of heritage in pharmaceutical compounding and therapeutics. CSL Vifor maintains manufacturing operations in St. Gallen and Ettingen, Switzerland, with R&D laboratories in Schlieren, and markets products in over 100 countries globally as a business unit within CSL Limited (ASX-listed parent).

Name

Vifor Pharma

Legal name

Vifor Pharma (now operating as CSL Vifor)

Website

https://viforpharma.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1872

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

CSL Vifor (formerly Vifor Pharma) is a Swiss specialty pharmaceutical company and CSL Limited business unit developing iron deficiency and nephrology therapies marketed across more than 100 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Glattbrugg

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

CSL Vifor (formerly Vifor Pharma) is a Swiss-based pharmaceutical company that develops, manufactures, licenses, and markets specialty medicines for iron deficiency, iron deficiency anaemia, and kidney disease. Its portfolio spans intravenous and oral iron therapies, potassium and phosphate binders, erythropoiesis-stimulating agents, and specialty nephrology drugs, with products approved in up to 87 countries and marketed across more than 100 countries. The company operates via the joint venture Vifor Fresenius Medical Care Renal Pharma and in-licenses products from partners such as Roche and Pfizer.

Product overview

CSL Vifor is a global pharmaceutical company specializing in iron deficiency and nephrology therapies. The company's product portfolio consists of two core therapeutic areas: Iron Deficiency (including Ferinject®, Venofer®, and Maltofer®) and Nephrology (including Veltassa®, Rayaldee®, Tavneos®, Mircera®, Retacrit®, Velphoro®, Korsuva®, and Filspari®). CSL Vifor also partners with Vifor Fresenius Medical Care Renal Pharma for renal care. The company markets products across over 100 countries globally and focuses on precision healthcare through strategic global partnering, in-licensing, manufacturing, and marketing of pharmaceutical products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Ferinject: Ferric Carboxymaltose Intravenous Iron - Approved in 87 countries. Also marketed as Injectafer in the USA.
• Injectafer
• Venofer
• Maltofer
• Veltassa
• Rayaldee
• Tavneos
• Mircera
• Retacrit
• Velphoro
• Korsuva
• Kapruvia
• Filspari

Products and services

• Ferinject® / Injectafer® Ferric Carboxymaltose intravenous iron therapy for iron deficiency and iron deficiency anaemia, approved in 87 countries and marketed as Injectafer® in the USA.
• Venofer® Iron Sucrose low-dose intravenous iron therapy for iron deficiency, approved in 85 countries.
• Maltofer® Oral Iron Polymaltose Complex for iron deficiency therapy, approved in 76 countries.
• Veltassa® Patiromer medication for hyperkalemia management in nephrology, available in 16 countries.
• Rayaldee® Prolonged-release formulation of Calcifediol for management of chronic kidney disease patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism. Received marketing authorization in all European countries applied for including Switzerland; launched in Germany and Switzerland.
• Tavneos® Avacopan, oral elective inhibitor of C5aR1 for ANCA-associated vasculitis. Approved in EU, UK, Switzerland, Australia, UAE, Kuwait, Israel and launched in major EU markets, Australia, Japan and Canada.
• Mircera® Long-acting Erythropoiesis-stimulating Agent for anemia management in chronic kidney disease. Licensed from F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG since 2015 and supplied to over 6,500 dialysis clinics in the USA and its territories.
• Retacrit® Epoetin Alfa-epbx for anemia treatment. Licensed from Pfizer, Inc. and approved in the USA since 2018 for all indications of its reference drug, epoetin alfa.
• Velphoro® Sucroferric Oxyhydroxide phosphate binder for hyperphosphatemia management in chronic kidney disease patients on dialysis, approved in 50 countries.
• Korsuva® / Kapruvia® Difelikefalin, peripherally restricted kappa opioid receptor agonist for pruritus (itch) in hemodialysis patients. Also marketed as Kapruvia®. Approved in US, EU, UK, Switzerland, Canada, Australia, UAE, Kuwait, Israel and Singapore.
• Filspari® Treatment for primary immunoglobulin A (IgA) nephropathy. Approved in EU, UK, Switzerland and launched in Germany, UK, Austria and Switzerland.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• F. Hoffmann-La Roche AGcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2015Licensing partner for Mircera (long-acting erythropoiesis-stimulating agent) since 2015. Product currently supplied to over 6,500 dialysis clinics in the USA and its territories.
• Vifor Fresenius Medical Care Renal PharmacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint company partnership combining CSL Vifor's iron deficiency expertise with nephrology focus. Together they have a strong and rapidly growing presence in nephrology, committed to launching next generation of therapies to address the full spectrum of kidney disease.
• Kissei PharmaceuticalminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional partner for Tavneos (avacopan) launch in Japan.
• Otsuka PharmaceuticalminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional partner for Tavneos (avacopan) launch in Canada and Korsuva (difelikefalin) distribution in Canada.
• CSL SeqirusminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCSL Seqirus manages Tavneos (avacopan) distribution in Australia.
• CTS (Clinaltex)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner for Korsuva (difelikefalin) distribution in UAE, Kuwait and Israel.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Akebia Therapeutics: Akebia directly competes through vadadustat (Auryxia/ferric citrate for hyperphosphatemia competes with Velphoro; HIF-PH inhibitor vadadustat competes in CKD anemia space with Mircera). Comparable as a focused nephrology therapeutics company targeting CKD-MBD and anemia.
• Fresenius Medical Care: Fresenius Medical Care is both JV partner (Vifor Fresenius Medical Care Renal Pharma) and an adjacent comparable, providing the global dialysis clinic network through which CSL Vifor nephrology products reach patients. Comparable as a vertically integrated kidney care player where CSL Vifor's product portfolio complements FMC's services business.
• Amgen: Amgen directly competes with CSL Vifor in nephrology through Epogen/Aranesp (ESAs competing with Mircera), acquired ChemoCentryx (originator of avacopan/Tavneos), and markets Sensipar/Mimpara (cinacalcet) for secondary hyperparathyroidism competing with Rayaldee. Comparable as a global biotech with deep nephrology and rare disease franchises.
• Ardelyx: Ardelyx directly competes with CSL Vifor through sparsentan (FILSPARI rival for IgA nephropathy) and tenapanor (Xphozah) for hyperphosphatemia in dialysis patients competing with Velphoro. Closely comparable as a specialty nephrology company with overlapping target indications.
• AstraZeneca: Direct competitor through Lokelma (sodium zirconium cyclosilicate) for hyperkalemia competing with Veltassa, and via Alexion's rare disease portfolio (including IgA nephropathy assets) overlapping with CSL Vifor's nephrology specialty franchise. Comparable as a global pharma with parallel iron deficiency, nephrology, and rare disease strategy.
• Pharmacosmos: Pharmacosmos directly competes with CSL Vifor's iron deficiency franchise through Monoferric (iron isomaltoside) and Diafer (low-dose iron isomaltoside), challenging Ferinject and Venofer in the IV iron market. Closely comparable as a specialty iron deficiency therapeutics company.
• Daiichi Sankyo / American Regent: Daiichi Sankyo (via American Regent) directly competes with CSL Vifor by marketing Injectafer (ferric carboxymaltose) in the US — the same molecule as CSL Vifor's Ferinject. Comparable as a global pharma with a parallel IV iron deficiency franchise in the same therapeutic category.

Broad incumbents

• Sanofi: Sanofi competes via its Genzyme rare disease unit (Cerezyme, Fabrazyme, etc.) and through nephrology-relevant assets such as dupilumab for related inflammatory indications. Comparable as a global specialty/rare disease pharma pursuing overlapping patient populations.
• Roche: Roche is both originator/licensor of Mircera (licensed to CSL Vifor since 2015) and a broader pharma player with nephrology adjacencies (including competing anemia therapies). Comparable as a global pharma incumbent whose nephrology franchise intersects CSL Vifor's iron deficiency and CKD-anemia portfolio.
• GSK: GSK competes in nephrology via dapagliflozin (Farxiga) for CKD, broadly overlapping with CSL Vifor's nephrology franchise, and is a comparable global pharma with a sizeable specialty/rare disease portfolio. Less specialized in iron deficiency but directly competes in CKD outcomes.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/csl
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/CSLGroup
• Facebookfacebook.com/CSLBiotechnology
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/263528
• Instagraminstagram.com/cslbiotechnology

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A2 records

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Vifor Pharma