Medical-legal complications regarding clofazimine in the USA

Leprosy Mailing List – January 28^th, 2010

Ref.: Medical-legal complications regarding clofazimine in the USA

From: Terence Ryan, Oxford , UK

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Dear Salvatore,

I refer to Scollard’s message dated LML Jan. 25^th, 2010. Medical Legal issues are one of the major inhibitions to best practice. I am gradually attempting to identify these, Could David Scollard give us a fuller account of the complications he refers to?

Which prevent prescribing clofazimine? All drugs have some side effects (including tetracyclines) and those for clofazimine are known to us all and furthermore lawyers are active everywhere. But, is he referring to something unique to his country?

He is right about the anti-inflammatory effects of tetracyclines, widely used by dermatologists but not mentioned in data sheets and lacking randomized clinical trials.

Terence Ryan