Efficacy

• there is evidence that buproprion is effective in helping people to give up smoking - in one study at 12 months the abstinence rates were (1):
  • bupropion and nicotine replacement group - 35.5%
  • bupropion group - 30.3%
  • nicotine replacement therapy alone group - 16.4%
  • placebo - 15.3%

Of note regarding this trial data is that:

• the abstinence rate was based on point prevalence of quitting (smoking status based on reported quitting at the end of the year) rather than the more rigorous outcome of sustained abstinence (quitting for the whole year following treatment) - using sustained abstinence then the quit rate in this trial was about 18% (2)
• trial data from one trial has shown bupropion to be more effective than a nicotine patch (3) - however another unpublished randomised controlled trial did not (3)

A systematic review revealed that bupropion and notriptyline increase abstinence from smoking at >= 6 months (3).

Reference:

1. NEJM (1999); 340: 685-91.
2. PULSE (29/7/00), 28-9.
3. Hughes JR et al (2003). Antidepressants for smoking cessation. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2003;(2):CD0003