Abstract: In order to study the effects of home-made ofloxacin on lepromatous leprosy patients, the viability of M.leprae in the patients during a short-term clinical trial with home-made ofloxacin was detected.Eleven untreated BL/LL leprosy patients and 2 relapsed BL/LL leprosy patients after dapsone monotherapy were treated with home-made ofloxacin 400mg daily for 12 weeks.In & of these patients skin biopsies taken from the lesions were inoculated into the mouse foot pad at 0, 6,9 and 12 weeks of the treatment for detecting the viability of M.leprae.Out of the & biopsies, 5 were inoculated into the nude mice, 3 into CFW normal mice.The results of the mouse foot pad experiment showed that nearly all nude mice and the majority of the normal mice inoculated with biopsies taken before treatment had multiplication of M.leprae in their foot pads, but no growth of M.leprae was found in all nude mice and normal mice inoculated with biopsies taken at the end of 6 weeks and thereafter.The results of the study demonstrate that the home-made ofloxacin is a strong bactericidal drug against M.leprae.The results also provide a scientific basis for including this drug in the multi-drug therapy regimen of leprosy.

Key words: Ofloxacin, Leprosy, Mycobacterium leprae