Long Term Beta Thalassemia Treatment: Findings From The Extension Period

Study titled Long Term Beta Thalassemia Treatment: Findings From The Extension Period Of Phase 2 Clinical Trial, conducted at the National Institute of Blood Disease \& Bone Marrow Transplantation (NIBD \& BMT). This study focuses on the long-term comparison of combination therapy (thalidomide and hydroxyurea) versus thalidomide alone in treating beta thalassemia. The objective is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the combination therapy compared to thalidomide alone, with the hypothesis that the combination will be more effective. Beta thalassemia is defined as an autosomal recessive disorder affecting beta-globin production, influenced by genetic modifiers. Key variables include hemoglobin, red blood cells, leukocyte count, reticulocyte count, platelets, lactate dehydrogenase, nucleated red blood cells, ferritin, bilirubin, Serum Glutamate Pyruvate Transaminase, creatinine, transfusion frequency, spleen and liver size, hemoglobin subunit beta \[ Homo sapiens (human) \] mutation, and certain polymorphism in gamma globin gene . The study took place at NIBD hospital over three years, designed as a Phase 2 single-center, two-arm open-label interventional study with a sample size of 30 participants using simple randomized sampling. Inclusion criteria are beta thalassemia major/intermediate patients aged 8-35 years, while exclusion criteria include patients with liver dysfunction, married patients, lactating mothers, and those with a history of thrombosis and fits. Data will be collected through clinical interviews and medical record reviews and analyzed using (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences.