My watch list

Deferasirox


Deferasirox
Systematic (IUPAC) name
[4-[(3Z,5E)-3,5-bis(6-oxo-1-cyclohexa-2,4- dienylidene)-1,2,4-triazolidin-1-yl]benzoic acid
Identifiers
CAS number	201530-41-8
ATC code	?
PubChem	5493381
Chemical data
Formula	C₂₁H₁₅N₃O₄
Mol. mass	373.362 g/mol
Pharmacokinetic data
Bioavailability	70%
Protein binding	99%
Metabolism	Hepatic glucuronidation
Half life	8 to 16 hours
Excretion	Fecal (84%) and renal (8%)
Therapeutic considerations
Pregnancy cat.	C(AU) B(US)
Legal status	℞-only(US)
Routes	Oral

Deferasirox (marketed as Exjade) is a rationally-designed^[1] oral iron chelator. Its main use is to reduce chronic iron overload in patients who are receiving long-term blood transfusions for conditions such as beta-thalassemia and other chronic anemias.^[1]^[2] It is the first oral medication approved in the USA for this purpose.^[3]

Additional recommended knowledge

Daily Visual Balance Check

Essential Laboratory Skills Guide

How to quickly check pipettes?

It was approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in November 2005.^[1]^[3]

Properties of deferasirox

The half-life of deferasirox is between 8 and 16 hours allowing once a day dosing. Two molecules of deferasirox are capable of binding to 1 molecule of iron which are subsequently eliminated by fecal excretion. Its low molecular weight and high lipophilicity allows the drug to be taken orally unlike desferoxamine which has to be administered by IV route (intravenous infusion). Together with deferiprone, deferasirox seems to be capable of removing iron from cells (cardiac myocytes and hepatocytes) as well as removing iron from the blood.

References

^ ^a ^b ^c Choudhry VP, Naithani R (2007). "Current status of iron overload and chelation with deferasirox". Indian J Pediatr 74 (8): 759–64. PMID 17785900. Free full text
^ Yang LP, Keam SJ, Keating GM (2007). "Deferasirox : a review of its use in the management of transfusional chronic iron overload". Drugs 67 (15): 2211–30. PMID 17927285.
^ ^a ^b United States Food and Drug Administration (November 9 2005). "FDA Approves First Oral Drug for Chronic Iron Overload". Press release. Retrieved on 2007-10-31.