Translations:Management of obesity/25/en
Anti-obesity medications currently approved by the FDA for weight loss
Several anti-obesity medications are currently approved by the FDA for long term use.
- Semaglutide (Wegovy) is currently approved by the FDA for long-term use, being associated with a 6-12% loss in body weight compared to placebo.
- The combination drug phentermine/topiramate (Qsymia) is approved by the FDA as an addition to a reduced-calorie diet and exercise for chronic weight management.
- Orlistat reduces intestinal fat absorption by inhibiting pancreatic lipase. Over the longer term, average weight loss on orlistat is 2.9kg. It leads to a reduced incidence of diabetes, and has some effect on cholesterol. However, there is little information on how it affects the longer-term complications or outcomes of obesity.
- Racemic amphetamine, phendimetrazine, diethylpropion, and phentermine are approved by the FDA for short term use.