Therapeutic Efficacy of Amantadine HCl and Rimantadine HCl in Naturally Occurring Influenza A2 Respiratory Illness in Man

In a double-blind, placebo-controlled study of the therapeutic efficacy of amantadine HCl (1-adamantanamine HCl) and of rimantadine HCl (μmethyl-1-adamantanemethylamine HCl) in patients with naturally occurring respiratory disease due to influenza A2, carried out at the Virginia State Penitentiary during an influenza A2 outbreak in January, 1968, both drugs were found to be effective therapeutically. Statistically significant increases in the rate of overall clinical improvement, in the rate of defervescence and in the rate of disappearance of signs and symptoms of illness were observed in the patients who received amantadine HCl or rimantadine HCl as compared to those who received placebo.