title: Pharmacotherapy of iron overload in thalassaemic patients.
abstract: The recommended treatment for thalassaemia major is regular blood transfusions, although these lead to the harmful accumulation of iron in the body. If untreated, iron overload is responsible for heart, liver and endocrine diseases. The only two iron chelating agents available for the treatment of iron overload are deferoxamine and deferiprone. The standard iron chelation therapy is based on the use of deferoxamine. Although this drug was introduced in the 1970s, it still remains the treatment of choice. Recently, another iron chelator, deferiprone, became available for clinical use in the European Community. Deferiprone is indicated as second-line treatment in patients with thalassaemia major, for whom deferoxamine therapy is contraindicated or in patients who present with serious toxicity to deferoxamine therapy. This paper examines this chelating agent and compares it with deferoxamine in order to ascertain the current and potential contribution of deferiprone to the treatment of thalassaemic patients.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Farmacologia e Fisiologia Umana, Università degli Studi di Bari, Bari 27100, Italy. aceci@fsm.it
authors.forename: Adriana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ceci
authors.forename: Mariagrazia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Felisi
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: De Sanctis
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: De Mattia
mesh_terms: D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D000077543:Deferiprone; D003676:Deferoxamine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007502:Iron Chelating Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019190:Iron Overload / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D011728:Pyridones / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013789:Thalassemia / Q000628:therapy*; D065227:Transfusion Reaction; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D007502:Iron Chelating Agents; D011728:Pyridones; D000077543:Deferiprone; D005293:Ferritins; D003676:Deferoxamine