Forfivo XL vs. its authorized generic and generics

How to pay the least

Ask for the cash price

Authorized generic

Forfivo XL itself, without the brand name. It usually costs less than Forfivo XL.

Ask your pharmacy for the cash price of Forfivo XL’s authorized generic. Its NDC is on this page; the pharmacy may need to order it.See its NDC
Ask for Forfivo XL’s cash price too, and pick the lower one.

Sold only in a different form, strength or formula. Switching to one would need a new prescription, so ask your prescriber whether it could work for you.

Compare every option

Brand nameForfivo XL

Authorized genericbupropion

Regular genericbupropion

What you’d pay

Cash priceAsk the pharmacyUsually the highest price

Cash priceAsk the pharmacyOften less than Forfivo XL

Other forms onlyAsk your doctor

Same as Forfivo XL?

The original

Same medicine

–

Brand nameNo maker’s card

We didn’t find a savings card or cash price from Forfivo XL’s maker. Ask the pharmacy for Forfivo XL’s cash price. With insurance, ask what your plan charges.

Authorized genericThe NDC to ask for

The same medicine as Forfivo XL, without the brand name. Give the pharmacy its NDC to get it.

bupropion

Sold by

Upsher-Smith LaboratoriesThe company behind Forfivo XL

NDC to ask for

450 mgextended-release tablet
- 24979-248-0611-digit: 24979-0248-0630 tablets per bottle

Source: FDA, updated October 30, 2026

What to say at the pharmacy

“Before you fill my Forfivo XL, can you tell me what I’d pay for the brand, for the authorized generic from Upsher-Smith Laboratories (NDC 24979-248-06)?”

Paying cash? Ask for each one’s cash price. With insurance, ask what your plan charges for each.

Brand and authorized generic labels

Official labels and ingredient lists from DailyMed (U.S. National Library of Medicine).

Same active and inactive ingredients as Forfivo XL.

Authorized generic package label from Upsher-Smith Laboratories — Authorized genericUpsher-Smith Laboratories

See the ingredients

Active: bupropion hydrochloride 450 mg

Inactive, on both labels:

Carboxymethylcellulose sodium
Hydrochloric acid
Hydroxypropyl cellulose
Hypromellose
Magnesium stearate
Methacrylic acid and ethyl acrylate copolymer
Polyethylene glycol 8000
Polyethylene oxide
Polyvinyl acetate
Povidone k30
Silicon dioxide
Stearic acid
Talc
Titanium dioxide
Triacetin

Regular genericNot sold

Sold only in a different form, strength or formula. Switching to one would need a new prescription, so ask your prescriber whether it could work for you. Generics usually come once the brand’s patents and exclusivity end. Until then, the authorized generic is the lower-cost way to get Forfivo XL.

See the authorized generic →

What it’s used for

Depression

What the FDA label says

FORFIVO XL is an aminoketone antidepressant indicated for the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD). The efficacy was established in two 4-week trials, one 6-week trial with bupropion immediate-release formulation, and one maintenance trial with bupropion sustained-release formulation, all in adults. Periodically re-evaluate long-term usefulness for the individual patient.

Source: the FDA label for Forfivo XL (Upsher-Smith Laboratories, LLC), November 6, 2025. Full label on DailyMed

Good to know

It may look different from Forfivo XL (color, shape, or markings). That’s normal for an authorized generic.
If your prescription says “dispense as written,” the pharmacy needs your prescriber’s OK to give you the authorized generic.
Cash prices can differ a lot from one pharmacy to the next, so it can pay to ask two. With insurance, what you pay depends on your plan.
If your pharmacy doesn’t stock it, they can often order it within a day or two.
Don’t stop or change a medicine without talking to your pharmacist or prescriber.

Prices change: confirm with the pharmacy before you fill. drugalt.com/drug/forfivo-xl/