Efficacy and Safety of Deferasirox for Reducing Total Body and Cardiac Iron in Thalassemia RASHID MERCHANT, JAVED AHMED, *PRADEEP KRISHNAN AND *BHAVIN JANKHARIA

utilized iron chelator produced a dramatic effect on survival of patients with thalassemia. However, DFO has poor oral bioavailability and a short half life, necessitating 12 hours of subcutaneous infusion, rendering therapy extremely cumbersome [1]. Deferiprone (DFP), an orally effective iron chelator, reduces total body iron load and is also effective in removing cardiac iron [1-3]. However, it has a short life and needs to be taken thrice daily, besides having troublesome side effects of arthralgia and neutropenia. Combination of DFO and DFP has proved to be more effective in reducing cardiac iron overload than DFO alone in clinical trials [4]. Deferasirox (DFX), a recently approved, effica-cious, safe, oral iron chelator has the advantage of a longer half life and hence requires once daily administration, leading to better compliance [5,6]. Efficacy and Safety of Deferasirox for Reducing Total Body and Cardiac Iron in Thalassemia