Details

Deferiprone binds to iron and removes it from the blood stream. Deferiprone is used to treat iron overload caused by blood transfusions in people with certain hereditary red blood cell disorders (thalassemia syndrome). Do not use deferiprone if you are pregnant. It could harm the unborn baby. Use effective birth control to prevent pregnancy while you are using this medicine. To make sure deferiprone is safe for you, tell your doctor if you have liver disease or a weak immune system.

Typical Uses

Deferiprone is used by people with a certain type of blood disorder (thalassemia) who have too much iron in the body, caused by repeated blood transfusions. Blood transfusions help people with blood disorders but they also bring extra iron into the body. It is important to get rid of the extra iron because high levels of iron can cause health problems (such as heart failure, liver disease, diabetes, delayed growth in children). Deferiprone is used if you have trouble taking other traditional iron-removal medications or you continue to have high iron levels after taking other iron-removal medications. Deferiprone belongs to a class of drugs known as iron chelators. It works by attaching to iron which helps your body pass the extra iron out in the urine.

Side Effects

Serious and sometimes fatal infections may occur during treatment with deferiprone. Stop using this medicine and inform your doctor immediately if you have fever, chills, body aches flu symptoms or sores in your mouth and throat.

Drug Interactions

• Deferiprone+adalimumab- Deferiprone can lower white blood cell count, and combining it with other medications that can also affect bone marrow function such as adalimumab may increase the risk. You may be more likely to develop serious and potentially life-threatening infections as a result.

• Deferiprone+belatacept- Deferiprone can lower white blood cell count, and combining it with other medications that can also affect bone marrow function such as belatacept may increase the risk. You may be more likely to develop serious and potentially life-threatening infections as a result.

• Deferiprone+cabazitaxel- Deferiprone can lower white blood cell count, and combining it with other medications that can also affect bone marrow function such as cabazitaxel may increase the risk. You may be more likely to develop serious and potentially life-threatening infections as a result.

• Deferiprone+chloroquine- Deferiprone can lower white blood cell count, and combining it with other medications that can also affect bone marrow function such as chloroquine may increase the risk. You may be more likely to develop serious and potentially life-threatening infections as a result.

• Deferiprone+felbamate- Deferiprone can lower white blood cell count, and combining it with other medications that can also affect bone marrow function such as felbamate may increase the risk. You may be more likely to develop serious and potentially life-threatening infections as a result.

Mechanism of action

Deferiprone is a chelating agent. It binds to excess iron in body, promoting its removal from the body and preventing iron toxicity.

Pregnancy Category : D