The metabolism of tromantadine.

Abstract

The metabolism of the antiviral drug tromantadine (1-adamantyl-2-(2-dimethylaminoethoxy)acetamide) was studied after an oral dose of 120 mg tromantadine hydrochloride using capillary gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Most of the dose was excreted unchanged with the urine. Six metabolites could be identified. The main metabolic products were 1-aminoadamantane (amantadine) and 1-adamantyl-(2-hydroxy)acetamide. Further metabolic pathways were demethylation of the dimethylamino function and oxidative desamination to an unstable aldehyde which is oxidized to a carbonic acid or reduced to an alcohol.