FDA approves treatment for iron overload

SILVER SPRING, Md. — The Food and Drug Adminsitration has approved a drug made by ApoPharma for a complication resulting from treatments for a genetic condition that causes anemia, the agency said Friday.

The FDA announced the approval of Ferriprox (deferiprone), used to treat patients with iron overload due to blood transfusions for thalassemia, a blood disorder. Patients with the disease have excess iron in their bodies because of the frequent blood transfusions they must receive that can lead to iron overload, a condition that can be fatal.

The standard treatment for iron overload is chelation therapy, which uses chemical agents to remove heavy metals from the body. Ferriprox, which the agency said is the first new approved treatment for the disorder since 2005, is intended for use when chelation therapy is inadequate.

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