Weight Loss Pharmacotherapy: Current and Future Therapies

Gastrointest Endosc Clin N Am. 2024 Oct;34(4):591-608. doi: 10.1016/j.giec.2024.06.006.

Abstract

The rising prevalence of obesity is of major concern. There are currently 5 Food and Drug Administration-approved medications for the treatment of obesity: orlistat, phentermine/topiramate, naltrexone/bupropion, liraglutide 3.0 mg, and semaglutide 2.4 mg. Surgical options such as bariatric surgery and endoscopic surgery induce more durable weight loss than pharmacotherapy or lifestyle interventions alone. However, patients often experience weight regain and weight loss plateau after surgery. The addition of multimodal or multihormonal pharmacotherapy is a promising tool to address these challenges. The optimal timing of obesity pharmacotherapy with surgical and endoscopic interventions requires further investigation.

Keywords: Bariatric surgery; Endoscopic bariatric surgery; GLP-1 agonist; Obesity; Pharmacotherapy; Weight loss.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Anti-Obesity Agents* / therapeutic use
  • Bariatric Surgery / methods
  • Bupropion / therapeutic use
  • Glucagon-Like Peptides / therapeutic use
  • Humans
  • Liraglutide / therapeutic use
  • Naltrexone* / therapeutic use
  • Obesity*
  • Orlistat / therapeutic use
  • Phentermine / therapeutic use
  • Topiramate / therapeutic use
  • Weight Loss*

Substances

  • Anti-Obesity Agents
  • Naltrexone
  • Orlistat
  • Phentermine
  • Liraglutide
  • Bupropion
  • Topiramate
  • Glucagon-Like Peptides
  • semaglutide