In 2023, the GANSID submitted a recommendation to the 24th World Health Organization Expert Committee on the Selection and Use of Essential Medicines for deferiprone to be included on the List of Essential Medicines (EML and EMLc). Find the GANSID submission here.
We are pleased to report on the success of this advocacy effort by the GANSID.
Executive summary of the report of the 24th WHO Expert Committee on Selection and Use of Essential Medicines- 24-28 April 2023
“The Expert Committee recommended that oral deferasirox be transferred to the core list of the EML and EMLc for use in the treatment of transfusional iron overload in patients with thalassaemia syndromes, sickle cell disease, and other chronic anaemias, with a square box listing specifying oral deferiprone as a therapeutic alternative. The Committee also recommended that intravenous deferoxamine should remain listed on the complementary list of the EML and EMLc for these indications and that the square box associated with the current listing be removed.
The Committee accepted that the comparative efficacy and safety of deferiprone, deferoxamine, and deferasirox were generally similar and that orally administered treatments may be preferred options. The Committee recognized the value in having multiple iron chelating agents included on the Model Lists to enable countries to make appropriate national selection decisions taking into consideration relevant contextual factors.”
Read more on the recommendations on deferiprone by the 24th WHO Expert Committee on Selection and Use of Essential Medicines in their executive summary on Section 10, page 11.