Clinical trial with clofazimine in leprosy

Abstract

This paper summarises our clinical experience with clofazimine in the treatment of 25 cases of reactive states of lepromatous and borderline leprosy and 7 lepromatous patients not responding to dapsone. Corticosteroids, which had to be given for the control of reactions, could be withdrawn and daspone therapy reintroduced during the period of administration of clofazimine. A schedule for the management of moderately severe reactions is recommended. The results of clofazimine treatment were also equally impressive in the group of patients, possibly harbouring dapsone resistant bacilli (in view of their lack of improvement in spite of administration of dapsone under controlled conditions). Clinical regression was associated with a fall in the mean levels of morphological index from 6.8 to 0.5. The need to realise the real indications of this highly useful drug in the treatment of leprosy is stressed.