Amantadine: an old drug reborn

In my opinion, amantadine is the most under-appreciated, under-utilised, and under prescribed oral medication in the treatment of patients with Parkinson's disease. I applaud Olivier Rascol and colleagues1 for providing a timely update on the uses of amantadine in the treatment of Parkinson's disease and other movement disorders. Their Personal View also provides insight into the reasons why amantadine is not so widely used and emphasises the fact that, even though this drug has been available for 50 years, its complex pharmacology is still not fully understood nor are the mechanisms behind its beneficial effects.