Deferiprone: uses, dosing, side effects & brands
Deferiprone is an iron chelator sold in the U.S. under 2 brand and generic names, for iron overload. Below: what the FDA label says, every product that contains it, what the pills look like, and its recall record.
Key facts
- Drug class
- Iron Chelator
- Treats (across its forms)
- Iron Overload
- Available as
- Solution · Tablet
- Sold as
- 2 products — Ferriprox and Deferiprone
- Prescription?
- Prescription only
- Generic available?
- Yes
- Boxed warning
- Boxed warning
How deferiprone is dosed
From the FDA label for Ferriprox (application NDA208030). Other deferiprone products — different forms, different strengths — are dosed differently. Follow the label for the one you were prescribed.
25 mg/kg to 33 mg/kg actual body weight, orally, three times per day, for a total daily dose of 75 mg/kg to 99 mg/kg body weight. ( 2.1 ) 2.1 Important Dosage and Administration Information Monitoring for Safety Due to the risk of agranulocytosis, monitor ANC before and during FERRIPROX therapy. Test ANC prior to start of FERRIPROX therapy and monitor on the following schedule during treatment: First six months of therapy: Monitor ANC weekly; Next six months of therapy: Monitor ANC once every two weeks; After one year of therapy: Monitor ANC every two to four weeks (or at the patient's blood transfusion interval in patients that have not experienced an interruption due to any decrease in ANC [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 )] . Due to the risk of hepatic transaminase elevations, monitor ALT before and monthly during FERRIPROX therapy [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.2 )] . Due to the risk of zinc deficiency, monitor zinc levels before and regularly during FERRIPROX therapy [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.3 )] . 2.2 Recommended Dosage for FERRIPROX Oral Solution for Adult and Pediatric Patients with Transfusional Iron Overload due to Thalassemia Syndromes, Sickle Cell Disease or Other Anemias Starting Dosage The recommended starting oral dosage of FERRIPROX Oral Solution is 25 mg/kg (actual body weight), three times per day for a total of 75 mg/kg/day. Round dose to the…
Deferiprone side effects
The following clinically significant adverse reactions are described below and elsewhere in the labeling: Agranulocytosis and Neutropenia [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 )] Liver Enzyme Elevations [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.2 )] Zinc Deficiency [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.3 )] The most common adverse reactions in patients with thalassemia (incidence ≥ 6%) are nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, arthralgia, ALT increased and neutropenia. ( 6 ) The most common adverse reactions in patients with sickle cell disease or other anemias (incidence ≥6%) are pyrexia, abdominal pain, bone pain, headache, vomiting, pain in extremity, sickle cell anemia with crisis, back pain, ALT increased, AST increased, arthralgia, oropharyngeal pain, nasopharyngitis, neutrophil count decreased, cough and nausea. ( 6 ) To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Chiesi USA, Inc. at 1-888-661-9260 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch 6.1 Clinical Trial Experience Because clinical trials are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed in the clinical trials of a drug cannot be directly compared to rates in the clinical trials of another drug and may not reflect the rates observed in practice. The following adverse reaction information represents the pooled data collected from single arm or active-controlled clinical trials with FERRIPROX Tablets…
Who shouldn’t take deferiprone
FERRIPROX is contraindicated in patients with known hypersensitivity to deferiprone or to any of the excipients in the formulation. The following reactions have been reported in association with the administration of deferiprone: Henoch-Schönlein purpura; urticaria; and periorbital edema with skin rash [see Adverse Reactions ( 6.2 )]. Hypersensitivity to deferiprone or to any of the excipients in the formulation. ( 4 )
Deferiprone drug interactions
Drugs Associated with Neutropenia or Agranulocytosis: Avoid co-administration. If co-administration is unavoidable, closely monitor the absolute neutrophil count. ( 7.1 ) UGT1A6 Inhibitors: Avoid co-administration. ( 7.2 ) Polyvalent Cations: Allow at least a 4-hour interval between administration of FERRIPROX and drugs or supplements containing polyvalent cations (e.g., iron, aluminum, or zinc). ( 2.2 , 7.2 ) 7.1 Drugs Associated with Neutropenia or Agranulocytosis Avoid co-administration of FERRIPROX with other drugs known to be associated with neutropenia or agranulocytosis. If co-administration is unavoidable, closely monitor the absolute neutrophil count [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 )] . 7.2 Effect of Other Drugs on FERRIPROX UDP-Glucuronosyltransferases (UGT) Avoid use of UGT1A6 inhibitors (e.g., diclofenac, probenecid, or silymarin (milk thistle)) with FERRIPROX [see Dosage and Administration ( 2.2 ), Adverse Reactions ( 6.1 ), Clinical Pharmacology ( 12.3 )] . Polyvalent Cations Deferiprone has the potential to bind polyvalent cations (e.g., iron, aluminum, and zinc); allow at least a 4-hour interval between FERRIPROX and other medications (e.g., antacids), or supplements containing these polyvalent cations [see Dosage and Administration ( 2.2 )] .
Every deferiprone product we track (2)
Same active ingredient — different manufacturer, form, price and FDA recall record. That last one is what our independent score measures.
| # | Drug | Rating | Type | Form | Generic? | Pharmacy pays | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 70/100 | Prescription | Solution | No data | — | View → | |
| 2 | Not yet rated | Prescription | Tablet | No data | — | View → |
What deferiprone pills look like
Imprint codes, colour and shape from the FDA’s labelling data. Match the imprint on your pill — or search any imprint.
Deferiprone and breastfeeding
From LactMed, the US National Library of Medicine’s Drugs and Lactation Database — quoted, not rewritten.
Full LactMed record for deferiprone: levels in milk, effects in breastfed infants, and the drugs it would consider insteadDeferiprone is likely actively transported into milk through binding with lactoferrin. Because no information is available on the use of deferiprone during breastfeeding and it is orally absorbed, an alternate drug is preferred, especially while nursing a newborn or preterm infant. Australian guidelines recommend against breastfeeding during deferiprone treatment. The US manufacturer recommends withholding breastfeeding for 2 weeks after the last dose.
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, record revised August 15, 2022. LactMed states its information is not a substitute for professional judgement.
What people report to the FDA about deferiprone
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) collects reports from patients and clinicians. It holds 548 reports naming deferiprone, and the FDA flagged 94% of those reports as serious. The effects reported most often — leaving out reports about overdose, misuse or the condition being treated, which dominate the raw list for common medicines:
- agranulocytosis33 reports
- neutropenia32 reports
- fatigue25 reports
- pyrexia25 reports
- pneumonia24 reports
- asthenia23 reports
- nausea23 reports
- nephrolithiasis21 reports
Read these as a signal, not a rate. A report does not mean deferiprone caused the effect — anyone can file one, and many describe people taking several medicines for several conditions. Crucially there is no denominator: FAERS does not record how many people took the drug, so these counts cannot be turned into “X% of patients” — a bigger number often just means a more widely used or more talked-about drug. Duplicates exist, and publicity drives reporting. For what is actually established, read the FDA label section above.
Source: openFDA drug/event (FAERS), retrieved August 25, 2026.
Related calculators
Frequently asked questions
What is deferiprone?
Ferriprox (Deferiprone) is an iron chelator used to treat Iron Overload.
What kind of drug is deferiprone?
The FDA classifies deferiprone as an iron chelator. Iron chelators grab onto excess free iron in the blood and tissues, locking it into a stable complex the body can no longer use. This bound iron is then flushed out in the urine or stool, lowering dangerous iron overload from repeated transfusions or other causes. If you are checking whether it is safe to combine with something else, the class is what matters — two drugs from the same class usually should not be stacked.
Can you take deferiprone with other medicines?
It depends on the medicine. We check it against the FDA labels rather than guessing: our interaction checker searches each drug's own label for the other and quotes what it says, naming the section it came from. Run deferiprone against whatever else you take — and remember that a label not naming a drug is not the same as that combination being safe.
What brand names is deferiprone sold under?
We track 2 deferiprone-containing products in the U.S.: Ferriprox and Deferiprone. They are the same active ingredient; they differ in form, manufacturer, price and FDA recall record.
What forms does deferiprone come in?
Across the brands we track, deferiprone is currently marketed as solution and tablet, per the FDA's National Drug Code Directory. Each form is dosed differently — follow the label for the exact product you were prescribed.
Is there a generic deferiprone?
Yes. Our catalog lists 1 generic deferiprone product alongside the brand versions. A generic has the same active ingredient and must meet the FDA's bioequivalence standard; it usually costs less. Ask your pharmacist which one your plan covers.
Cite this page
- APA
- pharmaranks. (2026, July 24). Deferiprone: uses, dosing, side effects & brands. https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/deferiprone
- MLA
- “Deferiprone: uses, dosing, side effects & brands.” pharmaranks, 24 July 2026, https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/deferiprone.
We summarise public FDA and NIH sources — for a clinical claim, cite the primary source we link to as well.
Sources: FDA openFDA drug label, National Drug Code Directory, and Enforcement (recall) database. This page reproduces public FDA data and is not medical advice. Dosing is set by your prescriber.
Read the full FDA label for deferiprone on DailyMed (NIH) ↗ — including its boxed warning in full.