Deferasirox 250mg

Indications for Deferasirox 250 mg use:

Chronic post-transfusional iron overload in adults and children over 2 years of age after the transfusion of about 20 units (100 ml/kg or more) of packed red cells/ clinical evidence of development of chronic iron overload (including the increased ferritine level >1000 µg/L).

This drug is intended for the treatment of continuous high levels of iron in blood due to the numerous blood transfusions (or caused by the other reasons). It acts by flushing the extra iron out of your body. Deferasirox belongs to the group of drugs called “iron chelators”. Frequent blood transfusions are usually necessary in certain kinds of blood disorders (like anemia and sickle cell disease). Blood transfusions have great advantages, but they can make your body to retain too much iron. The excess iron can accumulate in the body and cause complications, for example, cardiac failure, liver dysfunction and diabetes. Removing excess of iron can reduce the risk of these disorders.

The drug can be used by adults and kids over the age of six. However, it may be prescribed to the kids two to five years old, after the failure of Deferoxamine treatment. It acts by binding to extra iron in the blood and flushing it out of the body (mostly with feces), thus dealing with iron overload triggered by the blood transfusions. It is also intended for the treatment of haemochromatosis (chronic iron overload) in patients over the age of ten suffering from thalassemia, who don’t receive frequent blood transfusions.

Way of use and dose of Deferasirox 250 mg:

Take the drug once a day on an empty stomach (30 minutes before eating) at approximately the same time. Initial dose is 20 mg/kg a day. Recommended initial dose for the patients receiving more than 14 ml/kg of packed red cells (about 4 blood transfusions a month for adults) — 30 mg/kg; those who receive less than 7 ml/kg of packed red cells (blood transfusions a month for adults) should take 10 mg/kg of Deferasirox. In the patients with a good clinical result against the background of the therapy Deferasirox, initial dose should consist 1/2 from the previously used dose of deferoxamine. The dose should be increased gradually (by 5-10 mg/kg every 3-6 month), controlling the level of ferritine serum. If it remains much lower than 500 ug/L, you should stop the treatment. Put the pill in the glass (100-200 ml) of water or orange/apple juice and stir it till obtaining of homogeneous suspension. The prepared suspension should be taken orally. After that, you should add a small amount of water or juice to the rests of the drug, stir it a drink the mixture. It is not recommended to dilute the pills in carbonated beverages or milk, chew or swallow the pills whole.