Combined regimens of one year duration in the treatment of multibacillary leprosy--II. Combined regimens with rifampicin administered during 6 months.

From 1981 to 1983 all multibacillary patients presenting at the collaborating centres in Zaire and Rwanda were treated with one of the following regimens: 6 months supervised daily RMP 600 mg, ETH 500 mg and DDS 100 mg or CLO 100 mg followed by 6 months unsupervised daily DDS 100 mg or CLO 100 mg with ETH 500 mg added or not. These regimens gave rise to hepatotoxicity, reversal and erythema nodosum leprosum reactions as described previously. Bactericidal activity was excellent. Among the 289 patients in the trial, with a mean follow-up period of 3.88 years, no relapses were observed, with an upper 95% confidence limit of 0.35 per 100 person years. Because of the hepatotoxicity, alternative short-course therapies need to be tested.