• Skip to main content
Go to Healthcare Provider Site
  • Prescribing Information
    • Ferriprox Twice-a-Day Tablets
    • Ferriprox 1000 MG Three-Times-a-Day Tablets
    • Ferriprox 500 MG Three-Times-a-Day Tablets
    • Ferriprox 100 MG/ML Oral Solution 100 MG/ML
  • Disease Information
    • How Iron Loads in the Body
    • Monitoring Targets
  • About Ferriprox
    • Important Information
    • Efficacy
    • Most Common Side Effects
    • Dosing and Formulations
  • MRI T2* Facility Search
  • Your Ferriprox Support Team
  • FAQ
  • Additional Resources
  • APPROVED USES AND IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION, INCLUDING BOXED WARNING

IRON REDUCTION FOR REAL LIFE

Ferriprox® has been demonstrated to reduce serum ferritin and heart and liver iron1,2,12

Efficacy: reductions graphic
ms=milliseconds
¶¶ The clinical significance of this observation is not known.

Ferriprox has been proven to reduce iron buildup especially in the heart – this efficacy may be related to its high ability to enter heart cells10

If you are taking the lower dose of 75 mg per kg per day and your iron levels remain high, your doctor may consider increasing your dose up to 99 mg per kg per day.

Your doctor is optimizing your Ferriprox treatment to help you reach your iron level goals.

Ferriprox is suitable for patients with mild to severe renal or mild to moderate hepatic††† impairment.1,12

Efficacy: liver and kidney icons

††† Ferriprox was not studied in patients with severely reduced liver function.

What are the possible side effects of Ferriprox?

Ferriprox can cause serious side effects, including:

  • See “What is the most important information I should know about Ferriprox?”
  • Increased liver enzyme levels in your blood. Your healthcare provider should do monthly blood tests to check your liver function during treatment with Ferriprox.
  • Decreased levels of zinc in your blood. Your healthcare provider will do blood tests to check your zinc levels during treatment with Ferriprox and may prescribe a zinc supplement for you if your zinc levels are low.

The most common side effects of Ferriprox include:

  • nausea
  • vomiting
  • stomach-area (abdominal) pain
  • joint pain

Ferriprox may cause a change in urine color to reddish-brown. This is not harmful and is expected during treatment with Ferriprox.

These are not all of the possible side effects of Ferriprox.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

How should I store Ferriprox?

  • Store Ferriprox at room temperature, 68°F to 77°F (20°C to 25°C).
  • Store Ferriprox tablets (3 times a day) in the original bottle and tightly closed to protect from moisture.

Keep Ferriprox and all medicines out of the reach of children.

General information about the safe and effective use of Ferriprox

Medicines are sometimes prescribed for purposes other than those listed in a Medication Guide. Do not use Ferriprox for a condition for which it was not prescribed. Do not give Ferriprox to other people, even if they have the same symptoms that you have. It may harm them. You can ask your pharmacist or healthcare provider for information about Ferriprox that is written for health professionals.

ESTABLISHED SAFETY PROFILE

The safety of Ferriprox has been studied in 70+ studies worldwide2

Ferriprox Twice-A-Day tablets have a safety profile similar to Ferriprox 500 mg and 1000 mg Three-Times-A-Day tablets

The most common side effects are 1,12 :

  • nausea
  • vomiting
  • stomach-area (abdominal) pain
  • joint pain
  • low neutrophil count

Ferriprox may cause a change in urine color to reddish- brown. This is not harmful and is expected during treatment with Ferriprox.

If you develop a fever, a sore throat or mouth sores, flu-like symptoms, or chills and severe shaking, follow the three steps below:
Efficacy: three steps

Twice-daily dosing

Ferriprox® (deferiprone) offers twice-daily dosing.

The initial dose of Ferriprox is 75 mg/kg/day and it may be increased to 99 mg/kg/day to improve chelation or to help you reach your iron level goals.1,11,12

Take Ferriprox with food to help reduce the risk of nausea and vomiting.

Efficacy: dosing chart
‡‡‡ Initial dose is 37.5 mg/kg to 49.5 mg/kg based on your actual body weight, orally, twice daily with food for a total daily dose of 75 mg/kg to 99 mg/kg.

Your chelation requirements may change over time

Talk to your doctor about optimizing your chelation with Ferriprox Twice-A-Day.

Talk to your healthcare provider about the formulation you prefer.

Efficacy: Maria, actual Ferriprox patient
Maria, actual Ferriprox patient

I CAN TRAVEL WITH IT. FERRIPROX ALLOWS ME TO BE AWAY ON BUSINESS 2 OR 3 WEEKS AND STILL BE CHELATING.

Ferriprox provides a choice of formulations

Take Ferriprox with food to help reduce the risk of nausea and vomiting.

ferriprox-solution-and-package

FERRIPROX IS THE ONLY IRON CHELATOR AVAILABLE AS TABLETS OR ORAL SOLUTION

What is Ferriprox® (deferiprone)?

Ferriprox is a prescription medicine used to treat people with thalassemia syndromes who have iron overload from blood transfusions when current iron removal (chelation) therapy does not work well enough.

What is the most important information I should know about Ferriprox? Approval is based on a reduction in serum ferritin levels. There are no controlled trials demonstrating a direct treatment benefit, such as improvement in disease-related symptoms, functioning, or increased survival.

It is not known if Ferriprox is safe and effective to treat iron overload due to blood transfusions in people with any other type of anemia that is long lasting (chronic) or in children.

Important Safety Information

What is the most important information I should know about Ferriprox?

Ferriprox can cause serious side effects, including a very low white blood cell count. One type of white blood cell that is important for fighting infections is called a neutrophil. If your neutrophil count is low (neutropenia), you may be at risk of developing a serious infection that can lead to death. Neutropenia is common with Ferriprox and can become severe in some people. Severe neutropenia is known as agranulocytosis. If you develop agranulocytosis, you will be at risk of developing serious infections that can lead to death.

Your healthcare provider should do a blood test before you start Ferriprox and weekly during treatment to check your neutrophil count. If you develop neutropenia, your healthcare provider should check your blood counts every day until your white blood cell count improves. Your healthcare provider may temporarily stop treatment with Ferriprox if you develop neutropenia or infection.

Stop taking Ferriprox and get medical help right away if you develop any of these symptoms of infection: fever, sore throat or mouth sores, flu-like symptoms, or chills and severe shaking.

Do not take Ferriprox if you are allergic to deferiprone or any of the ingredients in Ferriprox.

Before you take Ferriprox, tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you: have liver problems, are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Ferriprox can harm your unborn baby. You should avoid becoming pregnant during treatment with Ferriprox. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you become pregnant during treatment with Ferriprox. For females who are able to become pregnant, your healthcare provider should do a pregnancy test before you start treatment with Ferriprox. You should use effective birth control during treatment with Ferriprox and for at least 6 months after the last dose. For males with female partners who are able to become pregnant, you should use effective birth control during treatment with Ferriprox and for at least 3 months after the last dose. Talk to your doctor if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if Ferriprox passes into your breast milk. Do not breastfeed during treatment with Ferriprox and for at least 2 weeks after the last dose.

Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins and herbal supplements.

Avoid drinking alcohol during treatment with Ferriprox tablets (2 times a day). This may cause a faster release of the medicine.

What are other possible side effects of Ferriprox?

Ferriprox can cause serious side effects, including increased liver enzyme levels in your blood. Your healthcare provider should do monthly blood tests to check your liver function during treatment with Ferriprox.

Ferriprox can cause decreased levels of zinc in your blood. Your healthcare provider will do blood tests to check your zinc levels during treatment with Ferriprox and may prescribe a zinc supplement for you if your zinc levels are low.

Ferriprox may cause a change in urine color to reddish-brown. This is not harmful and is expected during treatment with Ferriprox.

The most common side effects of Ferriprox include nausea, vomiting, stomach- area (abdominal) pain, and joint pain.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

Please see full Prescribing Information, including boxed WARNING, and Medication Guide.

 

References:

  1. Ferriprox® (deferiprone) Prescribing Information. Chiesi, May 2020.
  2. Data on file.
  3. United Kingdom Thalassaemia Society. Standards for the Clinical Care of Children and Adults with Thalassaemia in the UK. 3rd edition; 2016. Editors Yardumian A, Telfer P, Shah F, et al. Available online at: https://ukts.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Standards-2016final.pdf.
  4. Noetzil LJ, et al. Longitudinal analysis of heart and liver iron in thalassemia major. Blood 2008;112(7):2973-2978.
  5. Modell B, Khan M, Darlison M, et al. Improved survival of thalassaemia major in the UK and relation to T2* cardiovascular magnetic resonance. J Cardiovasc Magn Reson 2008;10(42). doi:10.1186/1532- 429X-10-42.
  6. Standards of care guidelines for thalassemia. Children’s Hospital & Research Center Oakland, 2012. Available online at: https://thalassemia.com/documents/SOCGuidelines2012.pdf.
  7. Pennell DJ, et al. Cardiovascular function and treatment in ß-thalassemia major: a consensus statement from the American Heart Association. Circulation 2013;128(3):281-308.
  8. Thalassaemia International Federation. Guidelines for the Management of Transfusion Dependent Thalassaemia (TDT). 3rd edition. Nicosia (CY): Thalassaemia International Federation, 2014. Editors Cappellini MD, Cohen A, Porter J, Taher A, Viprakasit V. Available online at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ books/NBK269382/.
  9. Sheth S. Monitoring of iron overload in transfusion-dependent thalassemia (TDT). Cooley’s Anemia Foundation. Accessed online October 10, 2019 at: https://thalassemia.com/documents/monitoring-iron- overload-in-transfusion-dependent-thalassemia.pdf.
  10. Jamuar, S and Lai, AHM. Safety and efficacy of iron chelation therapy with deferiprone in patients with transfusion-dependent thalassemia. Ther Adv Hematol 2012;3(5):299-307.
  11. Binding A, et al. Deferiprone exerts a dose-dependent reduction of liver iron in adults with iron overload. Eur J Haematol 2019;103(2):80-87.
  12. Ferriprox® (deferiprone) Prescribing Information. Chiesi, April 2020.

 

©Chiesi USA, Inc. 2020. All rights reserved.
Ferriprox® is a registered trademark of CHIESI FARMACEUTICI S.p.A.
Chiesi Total CareSM is a service mark of CHIESI FARMACEUTICI S.p.A.
PP-G-0379 V4.0 March 2021

Privacy PolicyTerms of Use

You are now leaving ferriprox.com

Please be aware that the sponsors of this site are not responsible for content on the site you are about to enter.