Inclusion Criteria:

- MDS patients presenting with low or intermediate-1 IPSS risk and transfusional iron
overload

- Patients of either gender and age ≥ 18 years

- History of at least 20 units of red blood cell transfusions or 100mL/kg of prepacked
red blood cells (PRBCs)

- Patients can be either naïve to iron chelation or have had prior treatment with
deferoxamine (DFO) or deferiprone (L1)

- Females of childbearing potential must use double-barrier contraception, oral
contraceptive plus barrier contraceptive, or must have undergone clinically
documented total hysterectomy and/or oophorectomy, tubal ligation or be
postmenopausal defined by amenorrhea for at least 12 months.

Exclusion Criteria:

- Non-transfusion related iron overload

- Treatment with deferasirox (ICL670) before study start

- Patients with a concomitant malignant disease

- Patients with out of range lab values

- History of nephrotic syndrome

- Patients with a previous history of clinically relevant ocular toxicity related to
iron chelation

- Systemic diseases (cardiovascular, renal, hepatic, etc.) which would prevent the
patient from undergoing study treatment

- Patients treated with systemic investigational drugs within the past 4 weeks or
topical investigational drug within the past 7 days

- Any other surgical or medical condition which might significantly alter the
absorption, distribution, metabolism or excretion of any drug.

- Patients with active uncontrolled infectious disease

- Pregnancy or breast feeding

Other protocol-defined inclusion/exclusion criteria may apply.