Bits researchers at Pilani Hyderabad campus claim to have developed a plant-based therapeutic formula to improve iron chelation therapy (ICT), providing hope for safer and easier access to treatment options.
Iron overload is increasingly concerned in India, especially in patients with frequent blood transfusions of thalamic anemia and sickle cell anemia. The remaining untreated, excess iron can seriously damage the liver, heart and endocrine system. There are over 100,000 Thalassyapia major patients, many of whom require permanent ICT to manage iron toxicity.
While effective, the current gold standard for ICT “deferroamine (DFO)” presents some challenges, including poor oral bioavailability, high costs and significant side effects such as nephrotoxicity and poor patient compliance.
A team of researchers from the institute, composed of Trinath Jamma, Onkar Kulkarni, Ramakrishnan Ganesan, Jayati Ray Dutta, Pranathi Tata and Aparajita Ghosh, has developed a formula that has performed outstanding DFO performance in its animal studies.
They showed in their study that this plant-inspired complex not only effectively eliminates excess iron, but also leads to lower systemic toxicity. “By utilizing the natural chelating ability of polyphenols to bind iron and to natural organic compounds, the formulation provides a biocompatible, affordable and safer treatment,” Mr Ganesan said.
This work marks a milestone in green and patient-centric drug development that can transform iron overload management not only nationwide but globally. The Journal of the American Chemical Society said their research work was recently published in “Molecular Drugs.”
publishing – May 18, 2025 11:41 pm ist
