Please select the eligibility criteria that correspond to the clinical trial below.
Title: Effect of L-type Calcium Channel Blocker (Amlodipine) on Myocardial Iron Deposition in Thalassemic Patients With Moderate to Severe Myocardial Iron Deposition: A Randomized Pilot Study
Brief Summary: Children with thalassemia may have high iron levels after receiving blood transfusions. These high iron levels can have damaging effects on the body, especially the heart. Conventionally only chelation therapy was given for prevention of iron buildup in the heart. However, current research has shown that another drug, amlodipine, also helps to slow down the deposition of iron in the heart. This study is designed to see if patients receiving amlodipine along with their regular chelation therapy have a slower rate of iron buildup in the heart when compared with patients who are receiving chelation only.


Options:
A: Inclusion Criteria:

* Pediatric patients aged ≥ 6 and ≤ 20 years managed at AKUH for at least 1 year
* ≥ 10 blood transfusion in life time
* Transfusion need ≥ 180 ml/kg/year
* Serum ferritin ≥ 1000 ug/dl
* Patient deemed capable of receiving chelation therapy (by treating hematologist) either subcutaneous infusion of Deferoxamine (Desferal) (3-5 days a week) or oral deferasirox (daily) or Defeperione (oral) or a combination of Desferal and Defeperione.
* Patients who have been on a stable chelation regimen ≥ 6 months
* Completed and signed Informed consent/assent.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Patients with known hypersensitivity to amlodipine.
* Patients with known sinoatrial nodal disease or aortic stenosis.
* Patients with known severe myocardial dysfunction, defined as A LV ejection fraction of ≤ 4 SD for age even without symptoms.
* Patients with known signs and symptoms of heart failure.
* Patients with a T2\* value of \< 4 ms on cardiac MRI.
* Patients with systolic blood pressures ≤ 2 SD for age (systemic hypotension) at the time of enrolment.
* Patients with previously diagnosed significant congenital heart diseases or acquired heart diseases other than thalassemia (as defined earlier).
* Patients with known contraindications to MRI (pacemakers, cerebral aneurysm metal clips, etc.)
* Patient with a known history of developing tetany after use of a calcium channel blocker
* Known pregnancy.
B: Inclusion Criteria:

1. Patients with thalassemia major with at least 6 years of age undergoing iron chelation therapy.
2. No anticipated changes in chelation regimen for the next 12 months
3. Completed and signed Informed Consent

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Pregnancy
2. Advanced class III/IV heart failure or LVEF \< 0.35% (by MRI)
3. Formal contra-indications to MRI (pacemakers, cerebral aneurysm metal clips, etc).
4. Advanced heart AV block
C: Inclusion Criteria:

* Thalassaemia Major
* Patient must have had a cardiac MRI scan between 1999 and 2006

Exclusion Criteria:

* Other structural heart disease such as valvular abnormalities, MI, congenital heart disease
D: Part I: Inclusion criteria for Inadequate responders

* Male or female patients with transfusion dependent iron overload including patients with thalassemia syndromes, sickle cell disease and bone marrow failure.
* Patients currently on Desferal (desferrioxamine) therapy will require a one day wash out prior to the first dose of study drug.
* Dose of deferasirox: \>30 mg/kg/day of deferasirox for at least 3 months
* No improvement or worsening of liver iron content (LIC) if this has been evaluated on deferasirox in the 3 months preceding the baseline studies.
* Age greater than 6 years
* Serum Ferritin: Ferritin \>1500 ng/ml and rising over three month period while on deferasirox.
* Patients had to achieve 'failure' as described above previously and may or may not currently be on deferasirox and may currently be having adequate responses on doses greater than or equal to 35 mg/kg/day of deferasirox.
* Life expectancy ≥ 6 months
* Written informed consent by the patient or for pediatric patients consent of the patient's legal guardian. The definition of the term 'pediatric' for enrollment and study conduct will be in accordance with Children's Hospital IRB. Parents or the legal guardians will be fully informed by the investigator as to the requirements of the study. Pediatric patients themselves will be informed according to their capabilities in a language and in terms that they are able to understand. Written informed consent will be obtained from their legal guardian on the patient's behalf in accordance with national legislation. If capable, all patients should also personally sign their written informed consent.

Part I: Inclusion criteria for good responders:

* Male or female patients with transfusion dependent iron overload including patients with thalassemia syndromes, sickle cell disease and bone marrow failure.
* Patients currently on Desferal (desferrioxamine) therapy will require a one day wash out prior to the first dose of study drug.
* Serum ferritin less than or equal to 1000 ng/ml or declining over a 3 month period on a dose of less than 30 mg/kg of deferasirox.
* Age greater than 6 years
* Life expectancy ≥ 6 months
* Written informed consent by the patient or for pediatric patients consent of the patient's legal guardian. The definition of the term 'pediatric' for enrollment and study conduct will be in accordance with Children's Hospital IRB. Parents or the legal guardians will be fully informed by the investigator as to the requirements of the study. Pediatric patients themselves will be informed according to their capabilities in a language and in terms that they are able to understand. Written informed consent will be obtained from their legal guardian on the patient's behalf in accordance with national legislation. If capable, all patients should also personally sign their written informed consent.

Exclusion criteria for Part I:

* Pregnancy (as documented in required screening laboratory test) or breast feeding
* History of non-compliance to medical regimens or patients who are considered potentially unreliable and/or not cooperative
* Patients with transfusion requirements equal to or more frequent than every three weeks.
* AST or ALT \> 400 U/L during screening
* Patients with uncontrolled systemic hypertension
* Severe cardiac insufficiency (NYHA III or IV), with uncontrolled and/or unstable cardiac or coronary artery disease not controlled by standard medical therapy
* Patients who received treatment with systemic investigational drug within the past 4 weeks or topical investigational drug within the past 7 days or are planning to receive other investigational drugs while participating in the study
* Allergy to deferoxamine
* Known contraindication to having a nuclear medicine study
* Any other condition which in the opinion of the investigator would prevent completion of the trial.
* Prior possible toxicity is not an exclusion criteria for Part I because patients require a chelating agent of which there are only two Patients who are found to be ineligible after screening procedures will have this documented on the screening log. No further data will be collected in the CRF for these patients.

Exclusion criteria for Part II:

* Patients with unacceptable toxicity to deferasirox such as renal failure or worsening cardiac function
* Patients who have failed to achieve negative iron balance at the maximum tolerated dose of deferasirox
* Patients who require an alternative chelator for specific reasons
* Patients who are currently enrolled on conflicting therapeutic trials
* Patients with serum ferritin less than 500 ng/ml at screening
* Any other condition which in the opinion of the investigator would prevent completion of the trial

Answer: A