| Indication | For the treatment and management of leprosy and dermatitis herpetiformis. |
| Pharmacodynamics | Dapsone is a sulfone with anti-inflammatory immunosuppressive properties as well as antibacterial and antibiotic properties. Dapsone is the principal drug in a multidrug regimen recommended by the World Health Organization for the treatment of leprosy. As an anti-infective agent, it is also used for treating malaria and, recently, for Pneumocystic carinii pneumonia in AIDS patients. Dapsone is absorbed rapidly and nearly completely from the gastrointestinal tract. Dapsone is distributed throughout total body water and is present in all tissues. However, it tends to be retained in skin and muscle and especially in the liver and kidney: traces of the drug are present in these organs up to 3 weeks after therapy cessation. |
| Mechanism of action | Dapsone acts against bacteria and protozoa in the same way as sulphonamides, that is by inhibiting the synthesis of dihydrofolic acid through competition with para-amino-benzoate for the active site of dihydropteroate synthetase. The anti-inflammatory action of the drug is unrelated to its antibacterial action and is still not fully understood. |
| Absorption | Bioavailability is 70 to 80% following oral administration. |
| Volume of distribution | Not Available |
| Protein binding | 70 to 90% |
| Metabolism | Hepatic, mostly CYP2E1-mediated. |
| Route of elimination | Renal |
| Half life | 28 hours (range 10-50 hours) |
| Clearance | Not Available |
| Toxicity | Overdosage might be expected to produce nasal congestion, syncope, or hallucinations. Measures to support blood pressure should b |