amantadine

noun

aman·​ta·​dine ə-ˈman-tə-ˌdēn 

: a drug used especially as the hydrochloride C₁₀H₁₇N·HCl to prevent infection (as by an influenza virus) by interfering with virus penetration into host cells

Examples of amantadine in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Because of his extensive contacts after a lifetime of advocacy, Waldrep recommended a drug called amantadine, which previously had been used for the flu and had been granted orphan drug status by the FDA to treat Parkinson’s patients only a few months earlier. —Dallas News, 29 Sep. 2022

The antiviral drug amantadine, for instance, was originally developed for influenza, but was repurposed as a Parkinson's therapy. —Annette Bakker, Fortune, 5 July 2021

His main approach has been to target the mutation in the M2 channel that created resistance to amantadine and rimantadine. —Neil Savage, Scientific American, 18 Sep. 2019

What’s more, the flu virus has developed resistance to oseltamivir and to an older drug, amantadine. —Kai Kupferschmidt, Science | AAAS, 23 Oct. 2019

Nearly all the viruses in circulation around the globe had a mutation that rendered amantadine and rimantadine—the two adamantanes used to treat flu, which work by blocking a particular step in viral replication—completely useless. —Neil Savage, Scientific American, 18 Sep. 2019

There are only two other classes of flu drugs, neuraminidase inhibitors (drugs like Tamiflu, Relenza, Rapivab) and the adamantane drugs (amantadine and rimantadine). —Helen Branswell, STAT, 27 June 2018

Influenza viruses developed resistance long ago to the first two antiviral flu drugs, amantadine and rimantadine. —NBC News, 26 June 2018

Word History

Etymology

amantad- (altered from adamantane "a hydrocarbon C₁₀H₁₆ whose crystalline structure resembles that of a diamond," borrowed from French, from Latin adamant-, adamās "diamond" + French -ane -ane) + -(am)ine — more at adamant entry 2

First Known Use

1964, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

amantadine

noun

aman·​ta·​dine ə-ˈmant-ə-ˌdēn 

: a drug administered orally especially in the form of its hydrochloride C₁₀H₁₇N·HCl to prevent infection (as by the virus causing influenza A) by interfering with virus penetration into host cells and in the treatment of Parkinson's disease see symmetrel