The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday that a generic version of a popular name brand antidepressant is both safe and effective, despite recent consumer complaints

The federal agency reviewed the generic version of Wellbutrin manufactured by Teva after some patients reported their depression returned when they switched from the brand name drug Wellbutrin XL to the generic pharmaceutical. Some patients also complained of headaches, anxiety and other side effects

According to new genotyping research, whether or not a smoking-cessation drug will enable you to quit smoking may depend on your genes. Researchers working on the study say that the enzyme known to metabolize both the smoking cessation drug bupropion and nicotine is highly genetically variable in all ethnicities and influences smoking cessation.

This finding is a step toward being able to tailor smoking cessation treatment to individuals based on their unique genetic make-up. "This first study identifies a very common genetic variant (present in anywhere from 25 to 50 percent of world populations) that appears to affect the outcome of smoking cessation treatment," said Rachel Tyndale, Section Head of Pharmacogenetics at Center for Addiction and Mental Health and lead researcher on the study.

Researchers say this finding is a step toward being able to personalize cessation treatments by formulating a plan to a specific genetic make-up

A study presented recently in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report linked higher failure rates faced by young smokers, when they try to quit, to the use of unassisted and non-recommended smoking cessation methods. Researchers found that although female smokers were more likely than males to seek help from health professionals, the men were more likely to try exercise as a quit strategy and to switch to chewing tobacco, snuff, or other tobacco products.

The research was based on telephone interview surveys of 1,827 young smokers, between the ages of 16 and 24 years. It found that out of the six recommended quitting methods only one was tried by at least 20 percent of the respondents. While six of the 11 unassisted methods that are not recommended by the U.S. Public Health Service were each used by at least 36 percent of respondents

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the first drug to treat seasonal affective disorder (SAD).

The FDA has approved GlaxoSmithKline Plc's Wellbutrin XL (bupropion HCL extended release) to treat SAD

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approves Chantix tablets, a drug that helps smokers quit.

The FDA says in a statement that the active ingredient in Chantix, varenicline tartrate, is a new molecular entity that received a priority review because of its potential benefit to public health