Version July 2025
| National Hansen's Disease Program (NHDP)*[1,2] | World Health Organization 2018 (WHO)[3] | |||||
| Regimen | Dose | Duration | Regimen | Dose for children 10 to 14 years | Dose for children <10 years or <40 kg | Duration |
| Tuberculoid ("paucibacillary"): TT, BT | Tuberculoid ("paucibacillary"): TT, BT | |||||
| Dapsone¶Δ | 1 mg/kg once daily (not to exceed 100 mg/day) | 12 months | Dapsone¶Δ | 50 mg once daily | 2 mg/kg once daily | 6 months |
| Rifampin*¶ | 10 to 20 mg/kg once daily (not to exceed 600 mg/day) | Rifampin¶ | 450 mg once monthly | 10 mg/kg once monthly | ||
| Clofazimine◊ | 150 mg once monthly, and 50 mg on alternate days | 100 mg once monthly, and 50 mg twice weekly | ||||
| Lepromatous ("multibacillary"): LL, BL, BB | Lepromatous ("multibacillary"): LL, BL, BB | |||||
| Dapsone¶Δ | 1 mg/kg once daily (not to exceed 100 mg/day) | 24 months | Dapsone¶Δ | 50 mg once daily | 2 mg/kg once daily | 12 months |
| Rifampin*¶ | 10 to 20 mg/kg once daily (not to exceed 600 mg/day) | Rifampin¶ | 450 mg once monthly | 10 mg/kg once monthly | ||
| Clofazimine◊ | 1 mg/kg once daily (not to exceed 50 mg daily) | Clofazimine◊ | 150 mg once monthly, and 50 mg every other day | 100 mg once monthly, and 50 mg twice weekly | ||
BB: mid-borderline (these refer to the Ridley-Jopling classification); BL: borderline lepromatous; BT: borderline tuberculoid; G6PD: glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase; LL: lepromatous; TT: tuberculoid.
* The NHDP follows the WHO guidance issued in 1982, which favors a longer duration of therapy, administration of rifampin daily rather than monthly, and excludes clofazimine for treatment of paucibacillary disease[1]. For patients on prednisone, rifampin is administered monthly rather than daily[2].
¶ Oral suspension may be compounded. Refer to the pediatric drug information included within UpToDate on extemporaneous preparations.
Δ Patients should be screened for G6PD deficiency before receiving dapsone.
◊ As there is no formulation of clofazimine less than 50 mg and the capsule should never be cut open, alternate-day dosing (2 mg/kg every other day) may be used. Clofazimine should be taken either with or immediately after food or milk to facilitate absorption. In the United States, the NHDP holds the Investigational New Drug (IND) for clofazimine treatment of leprosy. For further information or to request investigator status to use clofazimine, contact the NHDP: 1-800-642-2477.