Bupropion as a modulator of drug activity
Dosage forms, drug delivery systems, and methods related to sustained release of dextromethorphan or improved therapeutic effects are disclosed. Typically, bupropion or a related compound is orally administered to a human being to be treated with, or being treated with, dextromethorphan.
1. A method of treating major depressive disorder, comprising orally co-administering: a daily dose of bupropion that is about 150 mg to about 250 mg and a daily dose of dextromethorphan that is about 60 mg to about 100 mg, to a human being in need thereof for at least 8 consecutive days, wherein the bupropion is bupropion hydrochloride, or the free base or another salt form of bupropion and the dextromethorphan is dextromethorphan hydrobromide, or the free base or another salt form of dextromethorphan; wherein the bupropion and the dextromethorphan are the only therapeutically active compounds to be co-administered; and wherein the dextromethorphan is formulated for immediate release and the bupropion is formulated for sustained release; and wherein co-administering the bupropion and the dextromethorphan results in the human being experiencing a therapeutic effect and is more effective in treating major depressive disorder than orally administering the same amount of the dextromethorphan alone for the same number of consecutive days.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the human being experiences an improvement in a depressive symptom as compared to baseline.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein orally co-administering the bupropion and the dextromethorphan is more effective in treating major depressive disorder than a placebo.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the bupropion and the dextromethorphan are orally administered once daily.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the bupropion and the dextromethorphan are orally administered twice daily.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the bupropion and the dextromethorphan are orally administered for at least 14 consecutive days.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the bupropion and the dextromethorphan are orally administered for at least 30 consecutive days.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the weight ratio of the dextromethorphan to the bupropion in the daily dose is about 0.3 to about 0.5.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the daily dose of the bupropion and the daily dose of the dextromethorphan are administered in a solid dosage form.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the bupropion and the dextromethorphan are orally administered once a day for 1 day and are orally administered twice a day thereafter.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the bupropion and the dextromethorphan are orally administered once a day for 2 days and are orally administered twice a day thereafter.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the bupropion and the dextromethorphan are orally administered once a day for 3 days and are orally administered twice a day thereafter.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein orally administering the bupropion and the dextromethorphan is more effective than a placebo in reducing anxiety.