Study of rimantadine in the USSR: a review of the literature.

The results of basic-science and clinical studies performed in the USSR with the drug rimantadine are summarized. In the investigations cited, the therapeutic and prophylactic efficacy of rimantadine against infection with influenza virus was tested, and rimantadine was shown to be clinically efficacious and free of toxicity, both in studies with volunteers and in persons with natural disease during epidemics of influenza. Administration of 50 mg of the drug for 15-30 days was effective for prevention of influenza, and administration, early in the course of illness, of dosage of 150 mg per day for three to five days resulted in a favorable clinical response. The combination of immunization and chemoprophylaxis was shown to be highly effective for the prevention of influenza.