The therapeutic effectiveness of bonaphthone and
rimantadine was studied by treatment of 439 patients with
influenza between 18 and 21 years of age (bonaphthone 94, controls 105,
rimantadine 120, controls 120). No therapeutic effectiveness of bonaphthone was established in the study. When
rimantadine was given to the patients from the 1st day of the disease, shorter intervals of normalization of the temperature, disappearance of toxicity and catarrhal symptoms were observed than in patients treated with symptomatic drugs. During the period of
rimantadine therapy the rate of findings the
influenza antigen in smears from the nasal mucosa was lower, but after termination of the course of treatment the
antigen was found twice as frequently as in the control group. With the positive
therapeutic effect in patients treated with
rimantadine, the diagnostic rise of antibody in this group was observed in a lower per cent of cases than in the control group (13 and 20%, respectively). The results of immunofluorescent and serological studies indicate a possible virus reproduction-inhibiting effect of
rimantadine. This, however, requires further study. On the basis of the above observations
rimantadine may be recommended for treatment of patients with
influenza.