01475nas a2200289   4500000000100000008004100001260001700042653001000059653000900069653001000078653003000088653001100118653001100129653001200140653000900152653001600161653001500177653001900192653001500211100001300226245002700239300001000266490000700276050003200283520085600315022001401171       1994                            d  c1994 Oct-Dec10aAdult10aAged10aChild10aDrug Therapy, Combination10aFemale10aHumans10aleprosy10aMale10aMiddle Aged10aPefloxacin10aPilot Projects10aRegistries1 aBharti R00aPefloxacin in leprosy.  a443-80 v66  aInfolep Library - available3 a<p>Fluoroquinolones, a new class of compounds characterised by broad antimicrobial spectrum including mycobacteria together with limited toxicity, have recently been introduced in the chemotherapy of various human infectious diseases. Pefloxacin, one of the members of this class, was recently demonstrated to be bactericidal against M.leprae in the mouse foot-pad model and clinically beneficial in lepromatous leprosy patients. Clinical response to standard MDT with added pefloxacin in ten previously untreated (both PB and MB) was compared with that in ten similar patients on MDT alone in the present trial. The results of chemotherapy were quantified by a method of clinical scoring. This pilot study showed that addition of pefloxacin led to significant and rapid clinical improvement. There were no side effects attributable to pefloxacin.</p>  a0254-9395