Parallel assessment of 24 monthly doses of rifampin, ofloxacin, and minocycline versus two years of World Health Organization multi-drug therapy for multi-bacillary leprosy.

Monthly doses of rifampin, ofloxacin, and minocycline (ROM) are expected to be effective treatment for multi-bacillary leprosy. Patients with MB leprosy received ROM (n = 10) or World Health Organization multi-drug therapy (MDT) (n = 11). Treatment with ROM was given as 24 consecutive monthly observed doses of rifampin (600 mg), ofloxacin (400 mg), and minocycline (100 mg). Treatment with MDT was given as 24 consecutive monthly observed doses of rifampin (600 mg) and clofazimine (300 mg), and unobserved daily dapsone (100 mg) and clofazimine (50 mg). Twenty patients completed the 24-month regimens with > 99% compliance. Treatments with ROM and MDT were safe, tolerable, and caused similar improvements in lesions, bacterial indices, and histology. All MDT recipients developed clofazimine-induced pigmentation. Six ROM and nine MDT recipients assessed at five or more years after completion of treatment had no evidence of relapse. Twenty-four months of treatment with ROM is a safe, well-tolerated, and convenient regimen that may provide an alternate therapy to MDT for MB leprosy. Larger trials with sufficient follow-up would better define the role of ROM.