Deferoxamine (or Desferal) is a linear bacterial siderophore and chelating agent for trivalent cations. Deferoxamine is capable of binding free iron from plasma or cells to form the ferrioxamine complex. Due to its properties, deferoxamine is used as a first-line treatment for iron overload. Desferal is prescribed for various pathologies such as primary hemochromatosis, secondary hemosiderosis, acute martial intoxication, aluminum poisoning.

Deferoxamine has been included in some clinical studies to develop a treatment for COVID-19 caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. Indeed, studies have shown that the replication of some RNA viruses, such as HIV-1 or cytomegalovirus, can be influenced by iron. Deferoxamine was able to inhibit viral replication in cells in vitro. For this reason, deferoxamine is being tested as part of the development of a treatment for COVID-19.