Amantadine: an old drug reborn

Abstract

In my opinion, amantadine is the most under-appreciated, under-utilised, and under prescribed oral medication in the treatment of patients with Parkinson's disease. I applaud Olivier Rascol and colleagues 1 Rascol O Fabbri M Poewe W Amantadine in the treatment of Parkinson disease and other movement disorders. Lancet Neurol. 2021; (published online Oct 19)https://doi.org/10.1016/S1474-4422(21)00249-0 Google Scholar for providing a timely update on the uses of amantadine in the treatment of Parkinson's disease and other movement disorders. Their Personal View also provides insight into the reasons why amantadine is not so widely used and emphasises the fact that, even though this drug has been available for 50 years, its complex pharmacology is still not fully understood nor are the mechanisms behind its beneficial effects. Amantadine in the treatment of Parkinson's disease and other movement disordersThe efficacy of amantadine in the symptomatic treatment of patients with Parkinson's disease, discovered serendipitously more than 50 years ago, has stood the test of time and the drug is still commonly used by neurologists today. Its pharmacological actions are unique in combining dopaminergic and glutamatergic properties, which account for its dual effect on parkinsonian signs and symptoms and levodopa-induced dyskinesias. Furthermore, amantadine has additional and less well-defined pharmacological effects, including on anticholinergic and serotonergic activity. Full-Text PDF