title: Amantadine: the journey from fighting flu to treating Parkinson disease.
abstract: 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.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Center for Movement Disorders and Neurorestoration, Gainesville, FL, USA.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hubsher
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Haider
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Okun
mesh_terms: D000547:Amantadine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000818:Animals; D000978:Antiparkinson Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000978:Antiparkinson Agents; D000998:Antiviral Agents; D000547:Amantadine