The efficacy of amantadine hydrochloride in the treatment of COVID-19 - a single-center observation study

Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) rapidly spread worldwide. The search for effective measures to counter the development and effects of the pandemic includes: identifying the disease pathogen, introducing methods of reducing its transmission, building the population immunity, and the search for a cure, both among the new and already-known substances with potential antivirus activity such as amantadine hydrochloride.

Aim: The aim of the study was an observational single-center analysis of confirmed COVID-19 cases treated with amantadine in ambulatory settings.

Materials and methods: The 55 patients with confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis were treated in ambulatory settings by amantadine with a treatment schema varied from 200 mg to 500 mg per day. A retrospective analysis was based on symptoms, hospitalization, and number of deaths.

Results: The mean age of the patients was 55.9 years (SD=15), and most patients were male (60%). Despite the majority of patients 64% (n=35) suffering from comorbidities and 53% (n=29) of patients having been diagnosed with pneumonia, none of them died, and only four had required hospitalization in the course of COVID-19. Clinical stabilization was achieved in 91% (n=50) of patients within 48 hours after the first dose of amantadine with further improvement; additionally, all patients experienced remission of COVID-19. In total, 93% (n=51) of patients did not require hospitalization during the treatment.

Conclusions: The data may suggest that amantadine hydrochloride shows efficacy in preventing hospitalization and deaths in patients with COVID-19. At the same time, it emphasizes that daily monitoring of the patient and regular examination are important in the case of SARS-CoV-2 infection dynamics. It may be justified to carry out a prospective, randomized, and double-blinded clinical study with the postulated amantadine scheme.