Bupropion
As of the edition of 20 October 2026, Bupropion is a small molecule: marketed, first approved in 1985 (US); acts on SLC6A2 and SLC6A3; no US protection of its own is listed.
Sources: FDA Orange Book and Purple Book, other approval registers, ClinicalTrials.gov, ChEMBL.
The drug
- Status
- Marketed; latest approval 2015
- Kind
- Small molecule
- Brand name
- Wellbutrin
- First approved
- 30 December 1985 (US)
- Approvals on record
- 29 in 5 regions
- Holder of the most recent approval
- Axsome Therapeutics; 6 holders in all
- Registered trials
- 265, 23 stopped early
- Disease areas
- Mental health; Chemically induced; Nutrition and metabolism; Cancer; Nervous system; Urinary and reproductive
US protection
No US protection of its own is listed.
The FDA registers list no drug-substance patent or exclusivity of its own that counts for this drug.
Axsome Therapeutics holds a later exclusivity on its own new formulation or combination product, ending 2029; it does not protect the original drug.
This is the US only.
Companies that need a new molecule because of this drug
2 company-target rows on route B because of this drug.
Companies on route B for this drug
In the product2 company-target rows are on route B because of Bupropion.
See the 2 company-target rows on route B for this drug, with the facts behind eachRequest access. Nothing is shown until you do.
Targets
Registered trials
| Phase | Trials | Completed | Active | Stopped early |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phase not stated | 36 | 24 | 3 | 2 |
| Phase 1 | 64 | 51 | 3 | 6 |
| Phase 2 | 41 | 32 | 5 | 4 |
| Phase 3 | 50 | 38 | 8 | 2 |
| Phase 4 | 74 | 51 | 7 | 9 |
| All trials | 265 |
Who has held its approvals
| Company | Role | Years |
|---|---|---|
| GSK | Applicant, Later holder and Lead sponsor of trials | 1985 to now |
| Bausch Health | Acquired holder, Later holder and Lead sponsor of trials | 1998 to now |
| Orexigen Therapeutics | Applicant and Lead sponsor of trials | 2005 to now |
| IntelGenx | Later holder | 2011 to now |
| Twi Pharmaceuticals | Acquired holder | 2023 to now |