Participants received Deferasirox 30 milligrams per kilogram per day (mg/kg/day) orally once daily (OD), 30 minutes before breakfast, preferably around the same time every morning if possible. Deferasirox tablets were dropped into water or orange juice, or apple juice and stirred until completely dispersed. For doses less than 1 gram (g), tablets were dissolved in at least 100 milliliter (mL) of liquid; for doses of 1 to 3 g, tablets were dissolved in at least 200 mL. After tablets were fully disintegrated, the liquid was promptly consumed.

Oral deferasirox 30mg/kg/day once per day for 77 weeks.

Cardiac T2* was measured in the short axis plane at the widest point of a 4-chamber localizer using custom breath-hold R2* gradient echo sequences modeled after techniques used by Anderson et al (2001) and Westwood et al (2003).

MRI evaluation of liver iron concentration has been validated by liver biopsy (St Pierre et al 2005). Studies comparing T2* values of liver iron concentration (LIC) with LIC as assessed by biopsy have confirmed that T2* values reflect liver iron content (Wood et al 2003b). Direct tissue-validation of cardiac T2* measurements in humans has not been performed because endomyocardial biopsy is a dangerous and unreliable indicator of cardiac iron overload (Olson et al 1989, Fitchett et al 1980). However, it has been shown that cardiac T2* accurately reflects cardiac iron in a gerbil iron cardiomyopathy model (Wood et al 2004b). T2* measurements have shown excellent inter-scanner and inter-exam reproducibility, making them suitable for longitudinal monitoring (Westwood et al 2003a, Westwood et al 2003b).

Participants received Deferasirox 30 mg/kg/day orally OD, 30 minutes before breakfast, preferably around the same time every morning if possible. Deferasirox tablets were dropped into water or orange juice, or apple juice and stirred until completely dispersed. For doses less than 1 g, tablets were dissolved in at least 100 mL of liquid; for doses of 1 to 3 g, tablets were dissolved in at least 200 mL. After tablets were fully disintegrated, the liquid was promptly consumed.

Cardiac T2* was measured in the short axis plane at the widest point of a 4-chamber localizer using custom breath-hold R2* gradient echo sequences modeled after techniques used by Anderson et al (2001) and Westwood et al (2003).

The analysis was performed in Completer population (CP) consists of those participants who had a Week 77 MRI.

Participants received Deferasirox 30 mg/kg/day orally OD, 30 minutes before breakfast, preferably around the same time every morning if possible. Deferasirox tablets were dropped into water or orange juice, or apple juice and stirred until completely dispersed. For doses less than 1 g, tablets were dissolved in at least 100 mL of liquid; for doses of 1 to 3 g, tablets were dissolved in at least 200 mL. After tablets were fully disintegrated, the liquid was promptly consumed.