Consequences and costs of noncompliance with iron chelation therapy in patients with transfusion‐dependent thalassemia: a literature review

BACKGROUND: Patients with thalassemia major require iron chelation therapy (ICT) to prevent complications from transfusional iron overload. Deferoxamine is effective, but requires administration as a slow continuous subcutaneous or intravenous infusion five to seven times per week. Deferiprone is a three‐times‐daily oral iron chelator, but has limited availability in the United States. Deferasirox is a once‐daily oral iron chelator that was approved in the United States in 2005 for patients older than 2 years of age with transfusional iron overload.