Amantadine Extended Release for Walking Impairment in Multiple Sclerosis?

Better treatments are needed for gait disorders in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Amantadine extended-release was studied in a randomized, double-blind, phase 2, multicenter, manufacturer-sponsored trial for those diagnosed with MS who were ambulatory. After a 1-week titration, 59 patients took the full 274 mg daily dose or placebo during weeks 2 through 4.

Improvements over baseline walking speed by the timed 25-foot walk (T25W) were 17% at week 2 and 25% at week 4 in the amantadine group, versus 8% at both weeks 2 and 4 in the placebo group. The proportion of responders (those with ≥20% improvement on the T25W, averaged over weeks 2 and 4) was 30% with amantadine and 17% with placebo. Five amantadine recipients discontinued due to …