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LiverTox: Clinical and Research Information on Drug-Induced Liver Injury [Internet]. Bethesda (MD): National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases; 2012-.
LiverTox: Clinical and Research Information on Drug-Induced Liver Injury [Internet].
Show detailsOVERVIEW
Introduction
Rimantadine is an antiviral agent used as therapy for influenza A. Rimantadine has not been associated with clinically apparent liver injury.
Background
Rimantadine (ri man' ta deen) is a cyclic primary amine that has antiviral and anti-Parkinsonian activities. The antiviral activity of rimantadine is attributed to inhibition of virion uncoating and release of viral RNA in the initial stages of viral replication. Rimantadine is active only against influenza A virus and has no activity against influenza B or other upper respiratory viruses. In addition, resistance to rimantadine with cross reactivity against amantadine can develop rapidly and is now common. The anti-Parkinsonian activity of rimantadine appears to be due to its effects on release of dopamine in the substantia nigra; however, it has not been developed or approved for this indication. Rimantadine was approved for treatment and prevention of influenza A in the United States in 1993 but is no longer recommended because of high rates of resistance and availability of more effective antiviral agents for influenza. Rimantadine is available as tablets of 100 mg and as syrup (50 mg/5 mL) in generic forms and under the brand name of Flumadine. The recommended dose for influenza in adults is 100 mg twice daily for 5-7 days; rimantadine can also be used as prophylaxis starting as soon as possible after close personal exposure. Side effects may include anxiety, dizziness, ataxia, confusion, fatigue, headache, insomnia, dry mouth and gastrointestinal upset.
Hepatotoxicity
Despite widespread use, there is little evidence that rimantadine when given orally causes liver injury, either in the form of serum enzyme elevations or clinically apparent liver disease.
Likelihood score: E (unlikely cause of clinically apparent liver injury).
Mechanism of Injury
Rimantadine has minimal hepatic metabolism and is excreted largely unchanged in the urine, factors which perhaps explain the absence of significant hepatotoxicity.
Drug Class: Antiviral Agents
Other Drugs in the Class for Influenza: Amantadine, Baloxavir, Oseltamivir, Peramivir, Zanamivir
PRODUCT INFORMATION
REPRESENTATIVE TRADE NAMES
Rimantadine – Generic, Flumadine®
DRUG CLASS
Antiviral Agents
Product labeling at DailyMed, National Library of Medicine, NIH
CHEMICAL FORMULA AND STRUCTURE
| DRUG | CAS REGISTRY NUMBER | MOLECULAR FORMULA | STRUCTURE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rimantadine | 13392-28-4 | C12-H21-N |
|
ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY
References updated: 10 June 2020
- Zimmerman HJ. Antiviral agents. In, Zimmerman HJ. Hepatotoxicity: the adverse effects of drugs and other chemicals on the liver. 2nd ed. Philadelphia: Lippincott, 1999, pp. 621-3.(Expert review of antiviral agents and liver injury published in 1999; both amantadine and rimantadine appear to have "no adverse effect on the liver").
- Núñez M. Influenza virus treatments. Hepatic toxicity of antiviral agents. In, Kaplowitz N, DeLeve LD, eds. Drug-induced liver disease. 3rd ed. Amsterdam: Elsevier, 2013, pp. 513.(Review of hepatotoxicity of antiviral agents; amantadine has been linked to rare instances of liver enzyme elevations).
- Acosta EP. Antiviral agents (nonretroviral). In, Brunton LL, Hilal-Dandan R, Knollman BC, eds. Goodman & Gilman's the pharmacological basis of therapeutics. 13th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2018, pp. 1105-18.(Textbook of pharmacology and therapeutics).
- Jefferson T, Demicheli V, Di Pietrantonj C, Rivetti D. Amantadine and rimantadine for influenza A in adults. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2006;(2):CD001169. [PMC free article: PMC7068158] [PubMed: 16625539](Systematic review of efficacy of amantadine and rimantadine in treatment and prevention of influenza A; side effects are frequent, but largely consist of dizziness, insomnia, lightheadedness and headache; no mention of liver test abnormalities or hepatitis).
- Antiviral drugs for influenza. Med Lett Drugs Ther. 2009;51(1325):89–92. [PubMed: 20220738](Review of status of antiviral agents for prevention and treatment of influenza A and B; rates of resistance to amantadine and rimantadine are high, making these agents poorly effective; no mention of liver toxicity).
- Chalasani N, Fontana RJ, Bonkovsky HL, Watkins PB, Davern T, Serrano J, Yang H, Rochon J., Drug Induced Liver Injury Network (DILIN). Causes, clinical features, and outcomes from a prospective study of drug-induced liver injury in the United States. Gastroenterology. 2008;135:1924–34. [PMC free article: PMC3654244] [PubMed: 18955056](Among 300 cases of drug induced liver disease in the US collected between 2004 and 2008, 8 were attributed to antiviral agents, but none to drugs used in therapy of influenza).
- Chalasani N, Bonkovsky HL, Fontana R, Lee W, Stolz A, Talwalkar J, Reddy KR, et al. United States Drug Induced Liver Injury Network. Features and outcomes of 899 patients with drug-induced liver injury: The DILIN Prospective Study. Gastroenterology. 2015;148:1340–52.e7. [PMC free article: PMC4446235] [PubMed: 25754159](Among 899 cases of drug induced liver injury enrolled in a US prospective study between 2004 and 2013, 16 [1.8%] were attributed to antiviral agents, but none to rimantadine or other drugs for influenza).
- Antiviral drugs for seasonal influenza 2016-2017. Med Lett Drugs Ther. 2017;59(1511):1–3. [PubMed: 28026833](Review of status of antiviral agents for prevention and treatment of influenza A and B during the 2016-2017 season, discusses the neuraminidase inhibitors, but does not discuss or recommend amantadine or rimantadine).
- Antiviral drugs for treatment and prophylaxis of seasonal influenza. Med Lett Drugs Ther. 2019;61(1563):1–4. [PubMed: 30681660](Concise review of the drug therapy of influenza mentions that there are no data suggesting the superiority of one neuraminidase inhibitor over another, they are all approved for treatment of uncomplicated influenza, should be started as soon as possible, and have been shown to shorten the duration of symptoms by one day in adults; mentions that rimantadine and amantadine are no longer recommended for treatment of influenza because of high rates of resistance in circulating strains of influenza A and they are ineffective against influenza B).
- Antiviral drugs for influenza. Med Lett Drugs Ther. 2020;62(1589):1–4. [PubMed: 31999661](Concise review of the drug therapy of influenza mentions that there is no evidence that one neuraminidase inhibitor or baloxavir is more effective than any other in treating uncomplicated influenza infections but that oseltamivir is preferred for treatment of pregnant women, hospitalized patients and those with severe, complicated or progressive illness; mentions that rimantadine and amantadine are no longer recommended for treatment of influenza because of high rates of resistance in circulating strains of influenza A and they are ineffective against influenza B).
- PMCPubMed Central citations
- PubChem SubstanceRelated PubChem Substances
- PubMedLinks to PubMed
- Review Rimantadine: a clinical perspective.[Ann Pharmacother. 1995]Review Rimantadine: a clinical perspective.Wintermeyer SM, Nahata MC. Ann Pharmacother. 1995 Mar; 29(3):299-310.
- [Study of the antiviral activity of Russian anti-influenza agents in cell culture and animal models].[Vopr Virusol. 2010][Study of the antiviral activity of Russian anti-influenza agents in cell culture and animal models].Leneva IA, Fediakina IT, Eropkin MIu, Gudova NV, Romanovskaia AA, Danilenko DM, Vinogradova SM, Lepeshkin AIu, Shestopalov AM. Vopr Virusol. 2010 May-Jun; 55(3):19-27.
- Review A case for rimantadine to be marketed in Canada for prophylaxis of influenza A virus infection.[Can Respir J. 2003]Review A case for rimantadine to be marketed in Canada for prophylaxis of influenza A virus infection.Marra F, Marra CA, Stiver HG. Can Respir J. 2003 Oct; 10(7):381-8.
- The importance of virus drug-resistance in the treatment of influenza with rimantadine.[Antiviral Res. 1989]The importance of virus drug-resistance in the treatment of influenza with rimantadine.Kubar OI, Brjantseva EA, Nikitina LE, Zlydnikov DM. Antiviral Res. 1989 Jun-Jul; 11(5-6):313-5.
- Common emergence of amantadine- and rimantadine-resistant influenza A viruses in symptomatic immunocompromised adults.[Clin Infect Dis. 1998]Common emergence of amantadine- and rimantadine-resistant influenza A viruses in symptomatic immunocompromised adults.Englund JA, Champlin RE, Wyde PR, Kantarjian H, Atmar RL, Tarrand J, Yousuf H, Regnery H, Klimov AI, Cox NJ, et al. Clin Infect Dis. 1998 Jun; 26(6):1418-24.
- Rimantadine - LiverToxRimantadine - LiverTox
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