This study is looking at the effects of giving early treatment of deferiprone to young children with beta thalassemia who have started receiving regular blood transfusions but have not yet reached the criteria for starting on iron chelation therapy. Half the patients in the study will receive deferiprone, and the other half will receive placebo, for up to 12 months.

This study will give deferiprone to infants and young children with thalassemia who have started receiving regular blood transfusions but whose iron load is not yet at the level where chelation treatment would normally begin. The purpose is to see if doing this will postpone the build-up of iron without causing serious side effects. Half the children in the study will be given deferiprone at a dose that is lower than what is normally prescribed, and the other half will be given placebo. All patients will receive the assigned product three times a day for up to 12 months. Tests for signs of iron overload will be done monthly, and a patient whose iron load reaches the level where chelation therapy would normally begin will be immediately taken out of the study and started on standard chelation therapy.

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Male or female aged ≥ 6 months to < 10 years
2. Confirmed diagnosis of beta-thalassemia, as determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) or DNA testing
3. Started on a red blood cell (RBC) transfusion regimen, with a minimum of 2 transfusions already completed
4. Screening level of serum ferritin (SF) greater than >200 μg/L but not more than 600 μg/L. Since SF level may be impacted by the presence of infection, it must additionally be verified that the child has had no signs of infection in the previous 7 days, including the day of screening, and that the level of C-reactive protein (CRP) is no greater than 20% higher than the normal range for the patient's age. If there are signs of infection and/or the CRP level is above this threshold, the SF level must be checked again a minimum of one week later.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Prior use of iron chelation
2. Diagnosis of hepatitis B or C, or HIV infection
3. Evidence of abnormal liver or kidney function at screening: serum alanine transaminase (ALT) level > 5 times upper limit of normal or creatinine levels >2 times upper limit of normal
4. Disorders associated with neutropenia (absolute neutrophil count < 1.5 x 10^9/L) prior to the initiation of study medication
5. A serious, unstable illness, as judged by the investigator, during the previous 3 months before screening/baseline visit including but not limited to hepatic, renal, gastro-enterologic, respiratory, cardiovascular, endocrinologic, neurologic or immunologic disease.
6. Presence of any medical condition which in the opinion of the investigator would cause participation in the study to be unwise.

12 months

The placebo solution will have the same appearance and flavor as deferiprone oral solution, and will be administered at a volume matching that required for the dose of active product.