ABSTRACT
Background: Pegylated interferon (peg-IFN) alpha in combination with weight-based doses of ribavirin is currently recommended as a standard-of-care treatment for chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. However, the low response rate with interferon as well as the high occurrence of side effects has prompted investigators to search for other drugs which may be efficacious in the treatment of hepatitis C. Objectives: To evaluate the efficacy of amantadine hydrochloride versus amantadine sulphate monotherapy when administered to naïve Egyptian patients with chronic hepatitis C. Patients and Methods: Fifty Egyptian patients with chronic HCV were randomized to receive amantadine hydrochloride (100mg) two times daily or amantadine sulphate (100mg) two times daily for sixty days. Results: Patients treated with amantadine hydrochloride and amantadine sulphate showed highly significant reduction in serum AST and ALT levels but there was non significant reduction in HCV RNA viral load. Patients tolerate therapy well with no drop out. Conclusion: Amantadine oral therapy appears to have activity for treating hepatitis C.