For Healthcare Professionals
EXJADE is indicated for the treatment of chronic iron overload due to blood transfusions (transfusional hemosiderosis) in patients 2 years of age and older.
Further studies are being performed to determine the long-term benefits and risks of EXJADE.
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Chronic iron overload is a condition in which your body has too much iron. One way this can happen is by receiving multiple blood transfusions.
Your body has no way of getting rid of excess iron naturally. Excess iron from multiple blood transfusions overwhelms your body's ability to safely store iron. Once the body's natural ability to store iron is exceeded, transfusional excess iron will build up in the body.
Your doctor can run a simple blood test, called a serum ferritin test, to tell you if you have too much iron in your body. Another important factor is the number of blood transfusions you have received.
After 20 transfused units, you may have chronic iron overload, even if it has been years between transfusions. During 1 blood transfusion, you may receive 2 transfused units.
Only your doctor can tell you whether you need to continue blood transfusions. If you need blood transfusions, you may also need treatment for chronic iron overload. With effective treatment, you can have the blood transfusions you need to stay healthy.
If you have received multiple blood transfusions, you may want to ask your doctor about chronic iron overload. Another thing you can do is to "know your numbers." Keep track of how many units of transfused blood you have received in your lifetime.Only your doctor can decide if treatment with EXJADE is right for you. Click here to learn about a treatment for chronic iron overload due to blood transfusions.
EXJADE® (deferasirox) Tablets for Oral Suspension is an iron chelating agent, a type of drug that helps to remove excess iron due to blood transfusions. EXJADE is indicated for the treatment of chronic iron overload due to blood transfusions (transfusional hemosiderosis) in patients 2 years of age and older. Further studies are being performed to determine the long-term benefits and risks of EXJADE. EXJADE is available by prescription only.
EXJADE is taken once a day as a drink. You mix it with orange juice, apple juice, or water. Be sure to mix into a fine suspension. Read easy step-by-step instructions.
EXJADE should be taken once daily on an empty stomach at least 30 minutes prior to food, preferably at the same time every day. The tablets should not be chewed or swallowed whole. The tablets should first be completely dispersed in water, orange juice, or apple juice, and the resulting suspension drunk immediately. After swallowing the suspension, any residue should be resuspended in a small volume of liquid and swallowed.
Patients should be cautioned not to take aluminum-containing antacids and EXJADE simultaneously.
EXJADE is indicated for the treatment of chronic iron overload due to blood transfusions (transfusional hemosiderosis) in patients 2 years of age and older. Further studies are being performed to determine the long-term benefits and risks of EXJADE.
Your doctor may want you to take EXJADE to help remove excess iron due to blood transfusions.
EXJADE works by attaching to the excess iron. The removal of the excess iron happens over time with daily treatment. It is important to take EXJADE every day as recommended by your doctor.
People who are allergic to EXJADE or any ingredient of EXJADE should not take EXJADE.
Before you start EXJADE, your doctor will give you blood tests, because EXJADE may affect your kidneys, liver, or blood. The blood tests will be performed every month to check your kidney and liver function, your serum ferritin levels, and your blood count. If you are at increased risk of complications because you have a pre-existing kidney condition, are elderly, have multiple medical conditions, or are taking medicine that affects your kidneys, your doctor will give you a blood test every week for the first month you are taking EXJADE or if your dose has changed, and then every month after that. Your doctor may also collect urine samples monthly.
Some patients developed severe kidney problems, in some cases fatal, while on EXJADE. Most of the fatalities occurred in patients who were very ill because of their disease. There may be increased risk of complications for patients who already have a kidney condition, are elderly, have multiple medical conditions, or take medicine that affects kidney function.
Some patients developed severe liver problems, in some cases fatal, while on EXJADE. Many of these patients were greater than 55 years of age and/or had multiple medical conditions already affecting their liver.
Some patients developed blood disorders, in some cases fatal, while on EXJADE therapy, but it is not known whether this was a result of EXJADE therapy or other causes, as most of these patients already had diseases affecting their blood.
Serious allergic reactions (which include swelling of the throat) have been reported in patients taking EXJADE, usually within the first month of treatment. If reactions are severe, stop taking EXJADE and contact your doctor immediately.
You may also receive a hearing or vision test prior to receiving EXJADE and yearly thereafter. Your dose of EXJADE may be changed if needed based on the results of these tests.
Should you develop swelling of the throat, a severe rash, or any hearing problems or vision disturbances, please contact your doctor.
EXJADE should be taken once daily on an empty stomach, at least 30 minutes prior to food, preferably at the same time every day.
EXJADE should not be chewed or swallowed whole, and should not be taken at the same time as aluminum-containing antacids (for example, Maalox®).
The most commonly reported side effects related to EXJADE in clinical trials were mainly nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, fever, cough, headache, increases in kidney lab values, and skin rash. These side effects were mild to moderate in severity. If you experience diarrhea or vomiting you should ensure that you continue to drink fluids.
Please see the full prescribing information.
The most commonly reported side effects related to EXJADE in clinical trials were mainly nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, fever, cough, headache, increases in kidney lab values, and skin rash. These side effects were mild to moderate in severity. If you experience diarrhea and vomiting you should ensure that you continue to drink fluids.
During treatment with EXJADE, your doctor will schedule regular visits to monitor your therapy. During these visits, your doctor can run simple blood tests to check whether your dose needs to be adjusted, as well as to check your liver and kidney function, blood count, and your hearing and vision. It is important to keep these regular appointments to get the most out of your EXJADE treatment. Click here to read more about important safety information.
One way that you could tell that deferoxamine was working was that it changed the color of your urine. EXJADE works differently than deferoxamine, and causes iron to be removed from the body via the feces rather than the urine.
Your doctor can monitor your body's iron levels using a simple blood test, called a serum ferritin test, to determine if EXJADE is working. He or she can use this test to tell whether your EXJADE dose needs to be adjusted.
EXJADE is the once-daily oral treatment for chronic iron overload due to blood transfusions (transfusional hemosiderosis) in patients 2 years of age and older.
Further studies are being performed to determine the long-term benefits and risks of EXJADE.
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EXJADE is indicated for the treatment of chronic iron overload due to blood transfusions (transfusional hemosiderosis) in patients 2 years and older.
Further studies are being performed to determine the long-term benefits and risks of EXJADE.
People who are allergic to EXJADE or any ingredient of EXJADE should not take EXJADE.
Before you start EXJADE, your doctor will give you blood tests, because EXJADE may affect your kidneys, liver, or blood. The blood tests will be performed every month to check your kidney and liver function, your serum ferritin levels, and your blood count. If you are at increased risk of complications because you have a pre-existing kidney condition, are elderly, have multiple medical conditions, or are taking medicine that affects your kidneys, your doctor will give you a blood test every week for the first month you are taking EXJADE or if your dose has changed, and then every month after that. Your doctor may also collect urine samples monthly.
Some patients developed severe kidney problems, in some cases fatal, while on EXJADE. Most of the fatalities occurred in patients who were very ill because of their disease. There may be increased risk of complications for patients who already have a kidney condition, are elderly, have multiple medical conditions, or take medicine that affects kidney function.
Some patients developed severe liver problems, in some cases fatal, while on EXJADE. Many of these patients were greater than 55 years of age and/or had multiple medical conditions already affecting their liver.
Some patients developed blood disorders, in some cases fatal, while on EXJADE therapy, but it is not known whether this was a result of EXJADE therapy or other causes, as most of these patients already had diseases affecting their blood.
Serious allergic reactions (which include swelling of the throat) have been reported in patients taking EXJADE, usually within the first month of treatment. If reactions are severe, stop taking EXJADE and contact your doctor immediately.
You may also receive a hearing or vision test prior to receiving EXJADE and yearly thereafter. Your dose of EXJADE may be changed if needed based on the results of these tests.
Should you develop swelling of the throat, a severe rash, or any hearing problems or vision disturbances, please contact your doctor.
EXJADE should be taken once daily on an empty stomach, at least 30 minutes prior to food, preferably at the same time every day.
EXJADE should not be chewed or swallowed whole, and should not be taken at the same time as aluminum-containing antacids (for example, Maalox®).
The most commonly reported side effects related to EXJADE in clinical trials were mainly nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, fever, cough, headache, increases in kidney lab values, and skin rash. These side effects were mild to moderate in severity. If you experience diarrhea or vomiting you should ensure that you continue to drink fluids.
Please see the full prescribing information.
