UK gets oral treatment for NTDT

Thalassaemia patients to get oral treatment.

From this week (January 14th), UK patients suffering from non-transfusion-dependent thalassaemia (NTDT) will be able to access an oral remedy that can restore quality of life and remove the need for desferrioxamine.
This process, which requires slow infusions underneath the skin, has proven extremely difficult for anaemic patients, which is why the development of an oral treatment has been a high priority.

The product, called Exjade, helps those with NTDT reduce excess iron, which can accumulate and cause complications such as liver cancer and blood clots as a result of the condition.

George Constantinou, of the UK Thalassaemia Society, welcomed the treatment's arrival in the UK, commenting: "Thalassaemia is a complex condition that requires constant monitoring and adjustment of treatment, and the impact of current therapies on patients of all ages takes an emotional and physical toll".
It is estimated that around 215,000 people in the UK carry the thalassaemia genetic trait, all of whom will benefit from the introduction of Exjade.