Getting the iron out

From Philadelphia, at a meeting of the American Society of Hematology

While transfusions are lifesavers for many anemia patients, they introduce excess iron into recipients. This overload can damage the liver, pancreas, and heart. A new pill that reverses this process may vastly improve the lives of anemia patients, a new study shows.

The standard drug for removing iron from the body is deferoxamine mesylate.