From the Guidelines
Ferriprox (deferiprone) is primarily used to treat iron overload in patients with thalassemia syndromes, particularly when other iron chelation therapies are inadequate or cannot be used. It works by binding to excess iron in the body and allowing it to be excreted through urine and stool, thereby reducing harmful iron accumulation in organs like the heart and liver. The use of Ferriprox has been shown to improve cardiac and hepatic iron clearance, especially when combined with deferoxamine, as evidenced by a study published in Circulation in 2013 1. This combination therapy has been associated with improved outcomes in severe cardiac iron loading compared to deferoxamine alone.
Key Points to Consider
- The typical adult dosage of Ferriprox is 25-33 mg/kg body weight taken orally three times daily, for a total daily dose of 75-99 mg/kg.
- Ferriprox comes in 500 mg and 1000 mg tablets, as well as an oral solution (100 mg/mL).
- The medication requires regular monitoring of complete blood counts due to the risk of agranulocytosis, a serious side effect that causes dangerously low white blood cell counts, as noted in a study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology in 2010 1.
- Patients should immediately report symptoms like fever or sore throat while taking this medication.
- Ferriprox may cause reddish-brown urine discoloration, which is a normal effect of iron excretion.
- This medication should be taken with food to reduce stomach upset, and patients should avoid taking certain minerals, antacids, or dairy products within 4 hours of Ferriprox as they can reduce its effectiveness.
Monitoring and Combination Therapy
- Treatment with Ferriprox should be monitored by assessing clinical status, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), cardiac T2*, and ferritin trend, as recommended by a consensus statement from the American Heart Association published in Circulation in 2013 1.
- Combination therapy with daily subcutaneous deferoxamine and daily oral deferiprone has been used extensively for long-term management of patients with impaired LV function without decompensated heart failure.
- The use of combination therapy has been associated with improved outcomes in severe cardiac iron loading compared to the use of deferoxamine alone, as shown in a study published in Circulation in 2013 1.
From the Research
What is Ferriprox (Deferiprone) Used For
Ferriprox, also known as deferiprone, is an orally active iron-chelating agent used in the management of transfusion-related iron overload. The primary use of Ferriprox is to reduce iron burden in patients with beta-thalassaemia and other transfusion-dependent diseases [ 2 ].
Key Uses of Ferriprox
- To prevent iron overload toxicity in patients with thalassemia syndromes, which can cause complications including cirrhosis, heart problems, or endocrine abnormalities [ 3 ].
- As an alternative to deferoxamine for patients who are unable or unwilling to receive this treatment [ 2 ].
- In combination therapy with deferoxamine or deferasirox to improve iron chelation [ 3 ].
- To decrease cardiac and liver iron content in patients with transfusion-dependent thalassemia [ 4 ].
Benefits of Ferriprox
- Effective in reducing serum ferritin levels and cardiac iron load [ 2 , 4 ].
- Improves cardiac function and overall prognosis in patients with transfusion-dependent thalassemia [ 4 ].
- Can be used in combination with other iron chelators to increase chelation efficacy and reduce toxicity [ 5 ].