Comparison of the Effects of Deferasirox (Nanojade®) and Deferoxamine (Desferal®) on Serum Ferritin Level Changes in Major Beta-Thalassemia Patients: A Randomized Clinical Trial
Background: Different drugs with different mechanisms have been used to remove iron overload in thalassemia patients. This study aimed to compare the effects of Nanojade and Deferoxamine in reducing serum ferritin levels.
Methods: This randomized clinical trial was conducted on 41 major thalassemia patients. The selected patients were allocated to two groups by the permuted block randomization method. The first group was treated with Deferasirox (Nanojade) and the second group was treated with Deferoxamine (Desferal). All patients received the drugs at 14 mg/kg. Blood samples were collected at baseline, after 3 and 6 months after intervention. Chi-square test, Mann-Whitney U-test, and Friedman test were used for analytical statistics at the significance level of 0.05.
Results: 51.9% of patients in the Nanojade group and 40% in the Desferal group were females. Before the intervention, no difference was observed in terms of basic and demographic information. Before the intervention, as well as 3 months, and 6 months after the intervention, none of the blood parameters in the studied groups were significantly different (p> 0.05). The overall mean ferritin levels had a significant decrease, in both groups, 6 months after the intervention (PDeferasirox = 0.001 vs PDeferoxamine = 0.043); However, in the comparison between the two groups, no significant difference was observed between the levels of ferritin and creatinine at any of the time points (p> 0.05).
Conclusions: Deferasirox oral tablet (Nanojade®) is as effective as an injectable form (deferoxamine (Desferal®)) in reducing serum ferritin in patients with beta-thalassemia major without causing nephrotoxic effects. Therefore, it can be a suitable alternative to its injectable form
