Table of contents:

Amantadine - what do we know about it?
Amantadine - clinical studies
Amantadine - contraindications and side effects
Amantadine - media hype
Amantadine - to take or not to take?

The Medical Research Agency has funded a clinical trial on the potential use of amantadine in the prevention and treatment of COVID-19. News of the potential benefits of amantadine in the treatment of COVID-19 patients emerged last year.

Amantadine - what do we know about it?

Amantadine is a drug that came on the market in the 1970s. In 1976, amantadine was officially approved by the FDA. The active substance amantadine is a derivative of adamantane, an organic chemical compound from the group of tricyclic amines.

This agent is commonly used in the treatment of diseases such as Parkinson's disease (by blocking the receptors responsible for the onset of muscle tremor/stiffness) and in influenza A (by blocking the M2 protein proton pump). Amantadine is also used in the treatment of multiple sclerosis. The substance is an NMDA ( N-methyl-D-aspartate) glutamate receptor antagonist, influencing the inhibition of Parkinsonian symptoms and is characterised by anticholinergic effects. Amantadine also exhibits virostatic effects. Indeed, its low concentrations inhibit the replication of influenza A viruses and it is thought that it could be effective in the early stages of an outbreak of as yet unknown influenza A virus strains

Amantadine - clinical studies

According to the Medical Research Agency in an official release, a study conducted in spring 2020 showed that none of the patients infected with the Sars-CoV-2 virus developed severe disease after administration of amantadine. Scientists from Cambridge University came to similar conclusions. The drug research project is being carried out by seven nationwide centres: Independent Public Clinical Hospital No. 4 in Lublin; Medical University of Lublin, Central Clinical Hospital of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Administration (MSWiA) in Warsaw, University Clinical Centre of the Warsaw Medical University in Warsaw, St. Jadwiga Queen's Clinical Regional Hospital No. 2 in Rzeszów. Jadwiga Królowa in Rzeszów, Family Medicine Laboratory; College of Medical Sciences, University of Rzeszów, Władysław Biegański Regional Specialist Hospital, Independent Public Health Care Centre in Grudziądz and Independent Public Health Care Complex in Wyszków. As part of the consortium, clinical trials on amantadine are also being conducted at a research centre in Denmark.

Amantadine - contraindications and side effects

The most commonly listed side effects of amantadine include severe congestive heart failure, cardiomyopathy, myocarditis, cardiac arrhythmias, history of peptic ulcer disease, seizures, among others. Among the most frequently mentioned side effects for amantadine are problems with so-called venous drainage (so-called marbling cyanosis), swelling of the ankles or lower legs, dizziness, sleep problems, nausea, vomiting, concentration problems.

Amantadine in the treatment of COVID-19, photo: panthermedia

Amantadine - media hype

As a reminder, amantadine made headlines last year when physician Vladimir Bodnar reported his observations on the potential efficacy of amantadine in the treatment of COVID-19 patients. He claimed to have successfully cured many patients who were given amantadine according to a specific regimen. Following the news coverage, amantadine became one of the most sought-after prescription drugs in the country. There are currently three publications - Mancilla Galindo (observational study), Aranda-Abreu (descriptive study), Rejdaka (cross-sectional study) - that report how amantadine affected COVID-19 patients.

Amantadine - to take or not to take?

This is a question that certainly troubles many people. At the moment, medicinal products containing amantadine are prescription products. Obtaining a prescription requires a visit to the doctor and is conditional on receiving a prescription for the indications specified in the Summary of Product Characteristics and Patient Information Leaflet. We are waiting for the publication of the results of the studies conducted by the associated research units. Will the research results prove to be a breakthrough in the fight against coronavirus? We are keeping our fingers crossed!

way4cure.com

Amantadine - does it actually help with COVID-19?

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