Bupropion : The Zyban History

Bupropion was first synthesized by Burroughs Research in 1966, and patented by Burroughs-Wellcome (later Glaxo-Wellcome, and, as of 2000, GlaxoSmithKline) in 1974. It was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as an antidepressant in 1984 and 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.


Wellbutrin XL

In 1996 the FDA approved sustained-release (SR) and in 2003 extended release (XL) formulations of Wellbutrin that release bupropion at a slower rate. Wellbutrin SR is taken twice a day and Wellbutrin XL once a day, as compared to three times a day for the immediate release bupropion. Wellbutrin SR and XL are now available in generic form. In 1997, bupropion was approved by the FDA for use as a smoking cessation aid under the name Zyban. In late 2006, Wellbutrin XL was approved for use by the FDA as treatment for seasonal affective disorder.

In the UK, bupropion was approved in 2000 as a smoking cessation aid, and it is not approved for the treatment of depression

Article Source : http://en.wikipedia.org