Results from clinical trials on the efficacy of amantadine in the treatment of COVID-19
Amantadine is ineffective in the treatment of COVID-19 – initial clinical studies have shown. No difference to placebo was observed in inpatient patients. The study of the medicine was conducted under the supervision of Prof. Adam Barczyk of the Silesian Medical University.
The research was carried out by two research teams – the Independent Public Clinical Hospital No. 4 in Lublin under the direction of Prof. Konrad Rejdak and the Upper Silesian Medical Center after Prof. Leszek Giec of the Silesian Medical University Katowice under the direction of Prof. Adam Barczyk.
- Today we present the first results of studies funded by the Medical Research Agency on the effect of amantadine in the treatment of COVID-19 – said Deputy Minister of Health Maciej Milkowski at a press conference.
As Prof. Adam Barczyk said, the amantadine study was conducted in 149 patients with COVID-19 in hospital. 78 patients received amantadine and 71 received placebo.
- The results show that there is no difference between the amantadine group in the initial phase with moderate or severe COVID-19 and the placebo group”, says the expert. Prof. Adam Barczyk called on the president of the Agency for Medical Research to stop recruiting patients and stop the study.
- The research results presented today break the debate on the efficacy of amantadine treatment of patients with COVID-19 in hospitals”, said Radosław Sierpiński, President of the Agency for Medical Research. He pointed out that the results of a study on the use of amantadine in outpatients, i. e. patients treated in a clinic, will soon be available.
The Commissioner for Patients' Rights, Bartłomiej Chmielowiec, stressed that there is no other scientific evidence to prove the efficacy of the treatment with COVID-19 amantadine – it is not recommended in any recommendation, not even abroad.
- Apart from the fact that this therapy is not effective, it may pose a risk to the life and health of the patient in the form of an illusion that amantadine can cure – said The Commissioner for Patients' Rights
Bartholomew Chmielowiec also stated that he had issued a decision in which he considered that the medical facility Optima z Przemyśl, by using amantadine in patients with COVID-19, infringes the collective right of patients to treatment according to current medical knowledge. The Decision provides for a ban on the use of amantadine for the treatment of COVID-19 until the efficacy of this medicinal method has been demonstrated on the basis of reliable and reliable scientific data.