What is "deferasirox"

n. An oral iron chelator.

Deferasirox (marketed as Exjade, Desirox, Defrijet, Desifer, Rasiroxpine...) is an oral iron chelator. Its main use is to reduce chronic iron overload in patients who are receiving long-term blood transfusions for conditions such as beta- thalassemia and other chronic anemias. It is the first oral medication approved in the USA for this purpose.

It was approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in November 2005. According to FDA (May 2007), renal failure and cytopenias have been reported in patients receiving deferasirox oral suspension tablets. It is approved in the European Union by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for children 6 years and older for chronic iron overload from repeated blood transfusions.