Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2023 Oct;31(10):101757.
doi: 10.1016/j.jsps.2023.101757. Epub 2023 Aug 24.

A narrative review of approved and emerging anti-obesity medications

Semira Abdi Beshir  1 , Asim Ahmed Elnour  2   3 , Aadith Soorya  4 , Affana Parveen Mohamed  5 , Sheron Sir Loon Goh  6 , Nadia Hussain  7   8 , Amal H I Al Haddad  9 , Faizah Hussain  10 , Israa Yousif Khidir  11 , Zainab Abdelnassir  12   13
Affiliations
Review

A narrative review of approved and emerging anti-obesity medications

Semira Abdi Beshir et al. Saudi Pharm J. 2023 Oct.

Erratum in

Abstract

Background: Recently, many drugs have been approved for halting overweight and obesity-few types of research shifted to using Anti-obesity medications (AOM) solely for well-being and shape-keeping.

Objective: This narrative review's objective was to explore the use of AOM in relation to their medical indications, efficacy, and cardiovascular safety.

Methods and materials: We have conducted a narrative review of the literature on approved/non-approved AOM used for obesity and overweight. We have shed light on the emerging trials of therapies and evolving remedies.

Results: Recently, there has been an enormous change in the use of AOM with high consumption that deserves extensive surveillance for the long-term consequences and impact on social, mental, and physical health. Nearly six AOMs and combined therapy are approved by the Food and Drug Administration. The recent guidelines for obesity management have shifted the focus from weight loss to goals that the patient considers essential and toward targeting the root cause of obesity.

Conclusion: The use of AOM increased enormously despite its sometimes-dubious safety and ineffectiveness. The public and medical professionals should be vigilant to the real-world benefits of anti-obesity drugs and their achieved effectiveness with an improved safety profile.

Keywords: Anti-obesity medications (AOM); Liraglutide (Saxenda); Naltrexone-bupropion (Contrave); Obesity; Orlistat (Xenical); Overweight; Phentermine (Ponderax); Phentermine-topiramate (Qsymia); Semaglutide (Wegovy); Setmelanotide (IMCIVREE); Tirzepatide (Mounjaro); Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
The BMI classification of adult weights based on WHO schema.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
The factors for developing excess fat in the body.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
The target of action of AOMs.
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
The Challenges on the clinical utility of AOMs.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Al Shouk, A., 2023. Diabetes drugs being used for weight loss leads to a shortage in the UAE market. TheNational News. URL https://www.thenationalnews.com/topics/Author/ali-al-shouk/ (accessed 4.8.23).
    1. Al-Haddad F.H., Little B.B., Abdul Ghafoor A.G.M. Childhood obesity in United Arab Emirates schoolchildren: a national study. Ann. Hum. Biol. 2005;32:72–79. doi: 10.1080/03014460400027425. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Allison D.B., Gadde K.M., Garvey W.T., Peterson C.A., Schwiers M.L., Najarian T., Tam P.Y., Troupin B., Day W.W. Controlled-release phentermine/topiramate in severely obese adults: a randomized controlled trial (EQUIP) Obesity (Silver Spring) 2012;20:330–342. doi: 10.1038/oby.2011.330. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Apovian C.M., Aronne L.J., Bessesen D.H., McDonnell M.E., Murad M.H., Pagotto U., Ryan D.H., Still C.D. Pharmacological management of obesity: an endocrine Society clinical practice guideline. J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 2015;100:342–362. doi: 10.1210/jc.2014-3415. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Astrup A., Madsbad S., Breum L., Jensen T.J., Kroustrup J.P., Larsen T.M. Effect of tesofensine on bodyweight loss, body composition, and quality of life in obese patients: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Lancet (London, England) 2008;372:1906–1913. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(08)61525-1. - DOI - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources