Efficacy and Safety of Amantadine for the Treatment of Fatigue in Multiple Sclerosis: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Fatigue is a debilitating symptom of multiple sclerosis (MS) affecting at least 75% of patients. Amantadine has been tested for MS-related fatigue treatment but efficacy and safety remain unclear. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of qualified literatures searched until 30 April 2020. A total of 11 clinical trials were included. The meta-analysis revealed improvement of MS-related fatigue with amantadine treatment using the patients' subjective responses and validated fatigue scales. Amantadine is the most studied drug that has shown improvement of MS-related fatigue, with mild side effects and good tolerability. Larger studies using a standard measurement for MS-related fatigue are recommended to improve the quality of evidence. Safety and efficacy on long-term use needs further investigation.