What is Exjade used for?1
Repeated blood transfusions may be necessary in patients with various types of anaemia (for example myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), sickle cell disease (SCD) and thalassaemia). However, repeated blood transfusions can cause a build-up of excess iron. This is because blood contains iron and your body does not have a natural way to remove the excess iron you get with your blood transfusions.
In patients with non-transfusion-dependent thalassaemia syndromes, iron overload may also develop over time, mainly due to increased absorption of dietary iron in response to low blood cell counts. Over time, the excess iron can damage important organs such as the liver and heart. Medicines called iron chelators are used to remove the excess iron and reduce the risk of it causing organ damage.
Exjade is used to treat chronic iron overload caused by frequent blood transfusions in patients with beta thalassaemia major aged 6 years and older.
Exjade is also used to treat chronic iron overload when deferoxamine therapy is contraindicated or inadequate in patients with beta thalassaemia major with iron overload caused by infrequent blood transfusions, in patients with other types of anaemias, and in children aged 2 to 5 years.
Exjade is also used when deferoxamine therapy is contraindicated or inadequate to treat patients aged 10 years or older who have iron overload associated with their thalassaemia syndromes, but who are not transfusion dependent.
How Exjade works1
Exjade contains an active substance called deferasirox. It is an iron chelator which is a medicine used to remove the excess iron from the body (also known as iron overload). It traps and removes excess iron which is then excreted, mainly in the stools.
More information
For more information about Exjade please consult:
Summary of product characteristics (SmPC) for Exjade
This link will take you to the electronic medicines compendium (emc) website, which is a non-Novartis website.
Patient information leaflet (PIL) for Exjade
This link will take you to the electronic medicines compendium (emc) website, which is a non-Novartis website.
Abbreviations: MDS, myelodysplastic syndromes; PIL, patient information leaflet; SCD, sickle cell disease; SmPC, summary of product characteristics.
Reference
- Exjade® film-coated tablets package leaflet.
This medicine is subject to additional monitoring. This will allow quick identification of new safety information. You can help by reporting any side effects you may get. See yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk for how to report side effects.