Iranian researchers have produced the world's first desferal pills to treat iron overload in patients suffering from thalassemia.

A hereditary blood disease, Thalassemia is characterized by altered hemoglobin formation and anemia. Patients must receive blood transfusions every 2 to 4 weeks to alleviate anemia-related symptoms.

While transfusion improves the quality of life in thalassemic patients, it adds excess iron to the body, resulting in chronic iron overload.

These patients receive desferal (deferoxamine mesylate USP), an iron-chelating agent, shots to slow the accumulation of iron in their bodies.

The newly-developed pills have shown promising results in overcoming the need for 8 to 12 injections per day in thalssemic patients. They can also lower the pain commonly experienced following the use of desferal injections.

"The new desferal pills have received FDA approval and are going to be mass-produced in the coming 3 months," said managing director of the Iranian thalassemia association Mohammad Reza Mashhadi.

Some 18,616 thalassemic patients have been registered in Iran the majority of whom live in northern and southern parts of the country.

Due to a national prevention program which screens couples for thalassemia traits before marriage, the number of newly diagnosed cases has considerably decreased in recent years.

PKH/HGH