A Study of Long-term Treatment With Deferasirox in Patients With Beta-thalassemia and Transfusional Hemosiderosis

A Study of Efficacy and Safety of Long-term Treatment With Deferasirox in Patients With Beta-thalassemia and Transfusional Hemosiderosis

Because patients with beta-thalassemia are unable to actively eliminate iron from the body, toxic and eventually lethal levels of iron can accumulate as a result of repeated blood transfusions. This study will evaluate the efficacy, safety and tolerability of deferasirox.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Beta-thalassemia outpatients with transfusional hemosiderosis and unable to be chelated with deferoxamine (DFO) due to DFO being contra-indicated and/or due to documented unacceptable toxicity of DFO or documented poor response to DFO despite proper compliance, or documented non-compliance to DFO, with serum ferritin ≥ 500 ng/ml and LIC ≥ 2 mg/Fe/g dw liver
• Beta-thalassemia outpatients with transfusional hemosiderosis treated with deferiprone

Exclusion Criteria:

• Means levels of ALT > 300 U/L
• Serum creatinine above upper limit of normal
• Active hepatitis C or chronic hepatitis B receiving specific treatment