Buproprion vs SSRIs: Antidepressant-Naive, Obese Patients With Major Depressive Disorder

CONFERENCE REPORTER

Farah Khorassani, PharmD, presented the poster “Comparative Efficacy of Buproprion vs Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors in Antidepressant-Native, Obese Patients With Major Depressive Disorder,”¹ at the 2026 American Society of Clinical Psychopharmacology Annual Meeting in Miami, FL.

The poster highlights data from a retrospective observational study that used the Trinetic database, which includes a global cohort. The study aimed to compare the effectiveness of bupropion with any SSRI in treating major depressive disorder (MDD) by examining remission outcomes. The cohort included 165,000 patients, with a mean age of 49 years and a majority being women; approximately 40% had comorbid anxiety disorders.

The study used propensity score matching based on 16 covariates to compare the two cohorts. Overall remission rates were low, with 8.5% in the bupropion group and slightly less than 8% in the SSRI group. The Kaplan-Meier analysis showed a statistically significant difference, with a 15% chance of remission in the bupropion group over time. The relative risk was approximately 1.05, indicating a 5% difference in remission chances between the 2 groups.

The study suggests that individuals with MDD and obesity may be more challenging to treat due to low remission rates. Despite the low remission rates, these findings are consistent with previous studies. The limitations of the study include reliance on accurate coding of remission by participants, which may not always be complete. The researchers express excitement about the findings and look forward to future studies for further validation.

Approximately 40.3% to 42% of American adults—representing over 100 million people—are classified as obese,² further emphasizing the need to find treatment options that work for this patient population.

Dr Khorassani is a health sciences associate clinical professor at the University of California, Irvine School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.

References

1. Comparative efficacy of buproprion vs selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors in antidepressant-native, obese patients with major depressive disorder. Poster presented at: 2026 ASCP Annual Meeting; May 26-29; Miami Beach, FL. Accessed May 27, 2026.

2. Adult obesity facts. CDC. May 14, 2024. Accessed May 27, 2026. https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/adult-obesity-facts/index.html