A typical type of anti-depressant which acts as a norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor and dopamine reuptake inhibitor, and a nicotinic antagonist is Bupropion. Other brand names of the medicine are as under:
Elontril (Germany)
Odranal (Colombia
Quomen (Thailand)
Well (Korea)
Wellbutrin (United States, Canada)
Zetron (Brazil)
Zyban LP (France)
Zyban Sustained Release (Australia)
Zyban SR (Poland, United Kingdom)
Zylexx SR (Pakistan)
In general Bupropion aminoketones is the chemical class from which it belongs and is similar in structure to stimulant cathinone, anorectic diethylpropion and to phenethylamines. The primary purpose of the medicine is to be used as an antidepressant and as a smoking cessation aid. In the year 2006, prescriptions of almost 21,141,000 prescriptions were made in the U.S. retail market and it was the fourth most prescribed antidepressant.
In 1966, the first company which synthesized Bupropion was Burroughs Research, and which was patented by Burroughs-Wellcome (later Glaxo-Wellcome, and, as of 2000, GlaxoSmithKline) in 1974. In 1984, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the medicine as an antidepressant and it marketed under the name Wellbutrin. However, a significant incidence of seizures at the originally recommended dosage (400-600 mg) caused in 1986 the removal of the drug from the market. It was shown that the risk of seizures increases from 0.1% at 100-300 mg/day to 0.3-0.4% at 450 mg/day to 2% at 600 mg/day. Reflecting this experience, bupropion was re-introduced to the market in 1989 with the maximum dose of 450 mg/day.
In 1996, Wellbutrin XL the FDA approved sustained-release (SR) and extended release (XL) formulations of Wellbutrin that release bupropion at a slower rate in 2003. The recommended dosage of Wellbutrin SR is twice a day and Wellbutrin XL once a day, as compared to three times a day for the immediate release bupropion. Now generic form of Wellbutrin SR and XL is available. The FDA approved bupropion in 1997 for use as a smoking cessation aid under the name Zyban. The main purposes for which the medicine is used are:
Depression
Smoking cessation
Sexual dysfunction
Obesity
Other indications (Bupropion is also effective for adult attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and for prevention of seasonal affective disorder and was approved by the FDA for the latter indication).
Dosage:
The daily target dosage of Depression is 300 mg daily, starting initially with 150 mg in the first few days. A dosage can be increased to 450 mg daily if it is indicated and directed by physician.
Tobacco withdrawal: Initially 150 mg should be taken, and it can be increased to 300 mg if indicated and directed by physician. The dosage of the medicine should not be increased to 150 mg if the patient is receiving insulin, sympathomimetic anorectical drugs, or antimalaria agents.
Recommended dosage of the medicine is 150 mg because of high variability of bupropion's pharmacokinetics (see Pharmacokinetics) and in some situations the patients can be provided with the equivalent dosage of 450-500 mg. Monitoring of the blood level of bupropion and hydroxyl bupropion was done on this basis and some researchers advocated. In these type of situations, in starting, a lower dose of 75 mg should be considered because it is impossible in a routine clinical practice. Dosage can be increased depending upon the tolerability level of the patient and it can be increased to 450 mg. According to GSK, a 150-mg Bupropion SR tablet can be divided in two and still retain its sustain-release characteristics.
List of Medication
See list of drugs for an alphabetical list of drugs by name. Many drugs have more than one name and, therefore, the same drug may be listed more than once. Brand names and generic names are differentiated by the use of capital initials for the former. Click Here
