The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Chiesi Global Rare Diseases’ Ferriprox for treating transfusional iron overload which is caused by sickle cell disease (SCD). The treatment is approved in patients three years old and older, and expands the drug use for patients diagnosed with SCD or other anemias. A synthetic iron-chelating agent, Ferripox is taken twice a day orally via 1000mg tablets, and decreases iron concentrations through penetrating cell membranes to latch and remove toxic iron from organs and extracellular fluids. Giacomo Chiesi, head of Chiesi Global Rare Diseases, stated, “We believe that delivering an iron chelation therapy that has no dosage adjustment required for patients with mild to severe renal impairment may address a significant unmet need in SCD.”
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