The importance of virus drug-resistance in the treatment of influenza with rimantadine.

Rimantadine is the first specific antiviral agent widely used in the Soviet Union for the treatment and prophylaxis of influenza A in adults. Development of resistance of influenza A virus to rimantadine has been observed. Concern has been expressed about the development of resistance during treatment of large populations with the antiviral. The efficacy of rimantadine in the treatment of various outbreaks caused by different serotypes of influenza virus has been followed over a period of 20 years in 142,227 patients with influenza. No diminution in efficacy that could be contributed to the development of drug-resistant virus strains was observed.