Amantadine: the journey from fighting flu to treating Parkinson disease

Objective: To explore how amantadine transitioned from an anti-flu drug to antiparkinsonian agent.

Methods: A review of the historical literature on the use of amantadine from 1966 to the present was performed.

Results: Amantadine was originally introduced and utilized as an Antiviral medication. A single patient noticed relief in her Parkinson disease (PD) symptoms after taking amantadine for a flu Infection, and this observation sparked an interest, and several important studies that eventually led to a new drug indication.

Conclusion: Amantadine has over the years fallen out of favor as a drug to address influenza infection; however, it has become part of the arsenal utilized for early symptomatic treatment of PD, as well an option for treating dyskinesia.