Bupropion

Bupropion is an aminoketone medication used to treat depression and support smoking cessation. It inhibits norepinephrine and dopamine reuptake and has a distinctive seizure risk at higher doses.

Norepinephrine–dopamine reuptake inhibitor: A drug that reduces neuronal reuptake of norepinephrine and dopamine. Bupropion is commonly described by this pharmacological action, though its precise mechanism is not fully settled.
Major depressive disorder: A mood disorder marked by persistent depressed mood or loss of interest and associated symptoms. Bupropion is prescribed to treat major depressive episodes, alone or alongside other antidepressants.
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor: An antidepressant that primarily blocks serotonin reuptake through the serotonin transporter. Unlike SSRIs, bupropion has little direct serotonin reuptake inhibition and often causes fewer sexual side effects.
Extended-release formulation: A dosage form designed to release a medication gradually over an extended period. Bupropion is sold in sustained- and extended-release forms whose dosing schedules are not interchangeable.
Burroughs Wellcome: A British pharmaceutical company that developed and marketed bupropion. The company introduced bupropion as an antidepressant under the brand name Wellbutrin.
Norepinephrine: A catecholamine that acts as a neurotransmitter and hormone, supporting alertness and stress responses. Bupropion’s inhibition of norepinephrine reuptake increases its signaling.
Smoking cessation: The process of stopping tobacco use and maintaining abstinence from smoking. Bupropion can reduce nicotine cravings and withdrawal symptoms when used as a cessation aid.
Varenicline: A partial agonist at α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors used to support smoking cessation. It is a smoking-cessation alternative that acts directly at nicotine receptors rather than chiefly on catecholamine reuptake.
Drug interaction: A change in a drug’s effects or exposure caused by another substance or medication. Bupropion inhibits CYP2D6 and can interact with medications metabolized by that enzyme.
FDA drug approval: The United States Food and Drug Administration’s process for evaluating and authorizing drugs for specified uses. Bupropion’s approved indications expanded from depression to include smoking cessation and seasonal depression prevention.

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