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M.D.T. DRUGS USED IN TREATING LEPROSY PATIENTS
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The Chemotherapy of Leprosy is a challenging topic which is only briefly mentioned here because our “Forum on Leprosy” is designed mainly to inspire High School and College students to study further to help us not only find more effective anti-leprosy drugs, but also to develop an anti-leprosy vaccine.
Those who want a “in-depth” study of the Chemotherapy of Leprosy” are advised to consult the W.H.O. by CLICKING on here to “Forum on Leprosy” where there is a LINK to W.H.O. half-way down the page. That is a very helpful site.
In Multi-Drug-Therapy (MDT), the main drugs presently used in treating leprosy are DAPSONE (DDS), RIFAMPICIN and CLOFAZAMINE. Of the newer drugs in the Fluoroquinolones group, OFLOXACIN is the one of greater interest. Unfortunately, this drug has some unpleasant side-effects viz:- diarrhoea, nausea, gastrointestinal disturbances, insomnia, dizziness, hallucinations and nervousness. In clinical trails by Ji and Grosser, it was found that a single dose of 400mg. Ofloxacin daily, had considerable bactericidal activity although less than a single 600mg. dose of Rifampicin. Ofloxacin (oflo for short) is said to be second only to Rifampicin in its killing effect on M.leprae. The use of Fluoroquinolones in leprosy treatment is described in “Leprosy Review” Vol.57, Number 4, December 1990 in an Editorial by Ji and Grosset and published by Lepra, Fairfax House, Causton Road, Colchester, CO1 1PU, England. Other drugs such as Chloroquin, Prednisolone and Thalidomide are used specifically in treating “Lepra Reaction” and are dealt with under “Reactions”.
MINOCYCLINE, a drug which is used in the treatment of acne, is the only one within the Tetracycline family that is bactericidally efficacious against M.leprae. Its regular dose for an adult of normal weight is 100mg. daily - the same as for Dapsone. Its bactericidal potency against the leprosy bacillus exceeds that of another drug, CLARITHROMYCIN, but is much less than that of RIFAMPICIN. In WHO clinical trials, Minocycline was found to be very effective when administered as monotherapy.
MACROLIDES is the group under which CLARITHROMYCIN is categorised. Also, within this group, is ERYTHROMYCIN which also has considerable activity againsy M.leprae, though less than that of Clarithromycin. In a single dose of 500mg. of Clarithromycin daily, 99% of M.leprae in lepromatous patients were killed within 28 days, and 99.9% within 56 days, as reported by the W.H.O.. Sadly, it, too has several gastrointestinal side-effects, including nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea.
Other drugs are under trial but are of insignificance and do not warrant a mention here.
Perhaps this brief report is enough to whet your appetite for further information, and of a more “in-depth” nature. .It may even prompt you to contact:-
Dr. James L. Krahenbuhl, Chief Leprologist, G.W. Long Hansen’s Disease Centre, Carville, Louisiana, USA at :-
krahenbuhl@ vt8200.vetmed.lsu.edu
For more details re. Drugs used in the Treatment of leprosy please access the following sites at :-
WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION LEPROSY DEPT.,
THE LEPROSY MISSION
AMERICAN LEPROSY MISSIONS
W.H.O.'s LEPROSY WEB-SITE
INTERNATIONAL BENEVOLENT SERVICES
INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF ANTI-LEPROSY ASSOCIATIONS (ILEP)
ALT.SUPPORT.LEPROSY - GOOGLE GROUP
PLEASE RETURN TO THE MAIN PAGE
HOW TO PRACTICALLY SUPPORT LEPROSY SUFFERERS
THE CHALLENGE OF LEPROSY
THE SECRET OF LIFE
VIRTUAL LIBRARY ON LEPROSY
INDEX TO ALL OUR PERSONAL WEB-SITES
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Copyright © 2007 Keith Skillicorn. All Rights Reserved