Bupropion sustained release: a therapeutic overview.

Sustained-release bupropion (bupropion SR) represents a new form of an already known effective antidepressant drug. Its pharmacokinetics, mechanism of action, metabolism, and efficacy are reviewed. Benefit relative to placebo has been demonstrated in two large multicenter trials, with low doses (100 or 150 mg) having been shown to have therapeutic efficacy. An overview of all placebo-controlled trials of bupropion SR is given, and the differential properties of bupropion and serotonergic drugs are described. The concept of a catecholamine-indolamine spectrum is presented, along with its implications for possible differential therapeutics of selective antidepressants.