Deferoxamine is a chelating agent used to treat iron or aluminum toxicity and some blood transfusion dependent anemias. Natural product isolated from Streptomyces pilosus.
- Mechanism
- Curator reviewed
Deferoxamine works in treating iron toxicity by binding trivalent (ferric) iron (for which it has a strong affinity), forming ferrioxamine, a stable complex which is eliminated via the kidneys. 100 mg of deferoxamine is capable of binding approximately 8.5 mg of trivalent (ferric) iron. Deferoxamine works in treating aluminum toxicity by binding to tissue-bound aluminum to form aluminoxamine, a stable, water-soluble complex. The formation of aluminoxamine increases blood concentrations of aluminum, resulting in an increased concentration gradient between the blood and dialysate, boosting the removal of aluminum during dialysis. 100 mg of deferoxamine is capable of binding approximately 4.1 mg of aluminum.
- Primary indication
- Used to treat acute iron or aluminum toxicity (an excess of aluminum in the body) in certain patients.Curator reviewed · 4 structured indications
- Formula / weight
- C25H48N6O8 · 560.684 g/mol (avg)
- First approval
- Canada, 1997 · United States, 1968
- Also known as
- Deferrioxamine · Deferrioxamine B · Desferrioxamine · DFOA · DFOM
- Code names
- Ba 29837 · Ba 33112 · NSC-527604
- Brand names
Resolves to
UBQYURCVBFRUQT-UHFFFAOYSA-NSMILESCC(=O)N(O)CCCCCNC(=O)CCC(=O)N(O)CCCCCNC(=O)CCC(=O)N(O)CCCCCNWhat you can answer from here — as of September 23, 2026
Which drugs share a target with Deferoxamine, and which of those have an active Phase 3 trial?
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