Description

Bupropion (also known as the brand name product Wellbutrin®) is a norepinephrine/dopamine-reuptake inhibitor (NDRI) used most commonly for the management of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), and as an aid for smoking cessation. Bupropion exerts its pharmacological effects by weakly inhibiting the enzymes involved in the uptake of the neurotransmitters norepinephrine and dopamine from the synaptic cleft, therefore prolonging their duration of action within the neuronal synapse and the downstream effects of these neurotransmitters. More specifically, bupropion binds to the norepinephrine transporter (NET) and the dopamine transporter (DAT).