TY - JOUR
T1 - Improved treatment satisfaction and convenience with deferasirox in iron-overloaded patients with β-thalassemia
T2 - Results from the ESCALATOR trial
AU - Taher, Ali
AU - Al Jefri, Abdullah
AU - Elalfy, Mohsen Saleh
AU - Al Zir, Kusai
AU - Daar, Shahina
AU - Rofail, Diana
AU - Baladi, Jean François
AU - Habr, Dany
AU - Kriemler-Krahn, Ulrike
AU - El-Beshlawy, Amal
PY - 2010/5
Y1 - 2010/5
N2 - Patient-reported outcomes of once-daily oral deferasirox (Exjade®) in iron-overloaded patients with β-thalassemia not achieving successful chelation with prior deferoxamine and/or deferiprone were investigated in a prospective, open-label, 1-year, multicenter study in the Middle East (ESCALATOR). The initial dose of deferasirox was 20 mg/kg/day, with subsequent dose adjustments. At baseline and the end of study (EOS), patients (n = 237) completed a 5-point rating scale for treatment satisfaction and convenience, and recorded time lost to treatment. At EOS, 90.7% of patients were 'satisfied'/'very satisfied' with their iron chelation therapy (ICT) versus 23.2% at baseline. 92.8% (EOS) versus 21.5% (baseline) of patients considered their therapy to be 'convenient'/'very convenient'. Time lost to therapy for daily activities was substantially reduced (3.2 ± 8.6 [mean ± SD; EOS] vs. 30.1 ± 44.2 [baseline] h/month). Patients reported greater satisfaction and convenience, and lower impact on daily activities, with deferasirox than with previous ICT. This may help improve adherence to lifelong ICT in iron-overloaded β-thalassemia patients.
AB - Patient-reported outcomes of once-daily oral deferasirox (Exjade®) in iron-overloaded patients with β-thalassemia not achieving successful chelation with prior deferoxamine and/or deferiprone were investigated in a prospective, open-label, 1-year, multicenter study in the Middle East (ESCALATOR). The initial dose of deferasirox was 20 mg/kg/day, with subsequent dose adjustments. At baseline and the end of study (EOS), patients (n = 237) completed a 5-point rating scale for treatment satisfaction and convenience, and recorded time lost to treatment. At EOS, 90.7% of patients were 'satisfied'/'very satisfied' with their iron chelation therapy (ICT) versus 23.2% at baseline. 92.8% (EOS) versus 21.5% (baseline) of patients considered their therapy to be 'convenient'/'very convenient'. Time lost to therapy for daily activities was substantially reduced (3.2 ± 8.6 [mean ± SD; EOS] vs. 30.1 ± 44.2 [baseline] h/month). Patients reported greater satisfaction and convenience, and lower impact on daily activities, with deferasirox than with previous ICT. This may help improve adherence to lifelong ICT in iron-overloaded β-thalassemia patients.
KW - Convenience
KW - Deferasirox
KW - Iron chelation therapy
KW - Iron overload
KW - β-Thalassemia
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=77951240325&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=77951240325&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1159/000313447
DO - 10.1159/000313447
M3 - Article
C2 - 20424435
AN - SCOPUS:77951240325
SN - 0001-5792
VL - 123
SP - 220
EP - 225
JO - Acta Haematologica
JF - Acta Haematologica
IS - 4
ER -