Oral iron chelation: a review with special emphasis on Indian work on deferiprone (L1).

Abstract

Due to the high cost and inconvenient mode of administration of desferrioxoxamine (DFO), search has been on to find an orally effective, non-toxic and cheaper iron chelator for quite some time2 During the last thirteen years, deferiprone or 1,2Dimethyl-3-Hydroxypyridin-4-One under various names i.e. CP20; DMHP, CGP 37 391, or L~ has by far received the most attention. 2-9 It has undergone extensive preclinical and clinical studies for fairly long period, and barring a few isolated incidences of adverse reactions chiefly related to marrow toxicity and arthropathy, it appears to fulfil majority of requirement so as to replace DFO therapy. 2-~3 It is estimated that since the beginning of the clinical trial in 1987, over 400 patients aged between 2-82 years from 26 centres belonging to 14 countries have taken deferiprone for variable periods upto 48 months maximum24 Although iron overloaded thalasemics form the commonest of the condition, it has been used for over 10 disorders where iron overloading occurs, is There has been substantial Indian contribution in assessing the exact position of deferiprone in iron loaded thalassemics during the last 4 years, and there has been serious talk about making the