Weight Loss Pharmacotherapy: Current and Future Therapies.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to compare the durability of weight loss from bariatric surgery versus pharmacotherapy and lifestyle interventions, and explore the potential of multimodal pharmacotherapy to address post-surgical weight regain.
Results Summary
Bariatric surgery induces more durable weight loss than pharmacotherapy or lifestyle interventions alone, but patients often experience weight regain and plateaus; combining pharmacotherapy with surgery may help mitigate these challenges.
Population
Not specified (general obesity population implied)
Effective Dosage
Not specified
Duration
Not specified
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
orlistat | neutral | obesity | - | - | approved for treatment | #1 |
phentermine/topiramate | neutral | obesity | - | - | approved for treatment | #2 |
naltrexone/bupropion | neutral | obesity | - | - | approved for treatment | #3 |
liraglutide 3.0 mg | neutral | obesity | - | - | approved for treatment | #4 |
semaglutide 2.4 mg | neutral | obesity | - | - | approved for treatment | #5 |
bariatric surgery | increase | weight loss | - | - | induce more durable weight loss | #6 |
endoscopic surgery | increase | weight loss | - | - | induce more durable weight loss | #7 |
pharmacotherapy | decrease | weight loss | - | - | less durable weight loss | #8 |
lifestyle interventions | decrease | weight loss | - | - | less durable weight loss | #9 |
surgery | increase | weight regain | patients | - | patients often experience weight regain | #10 |
surgery | no change | weight loss plateau | patients | - | patients often experience weight loss plateau | #11 |
multimodal pharmacotherapy | decrease | weight regain and weight loss plateau after surgery | - | - | promising tool to address these challenges | #12 |
multihormonal pharmacotherapy | decrease | weight regain and weight loss plateau after surgery | - | - | promising tool to address these challenges | #13 |
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.