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Current and investigational anti-obesity drugs help reduce weight and offer additional benefits, but more effective options are needed

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Abstract

A number of pharmacological options for the treatment of obesity are available, but their efficacy is limited to losses of 5–10% of patient weight and their use should be secondary to lifestyle changes. The safety and efficacy of anti-obesity drugs, as well as the characteristics and co-morbidities of the patient, should be taken into consideration when treating obesity, as not all treatments are appropriate for all patients. A variety of new anti-obesity drugs are currently undergoing clinical investigation, but none appears to be the ideal agent to treat obesity.

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Fig. 1

Adapted from Rosa-Gonçalves and Majerowicz [2]

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The preparation of this review was not supported by any external funding.

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The article was adapted from Drug Safety 2019;42(8):957–71 [1] and the American Journal of Cardiovascular Drugs 2019;19(4):349–64 [2] by employees of Adis International Ltd./Springer Nature, who are responsible for the article content and declare no conflicts of interest.

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Adis Medical Writers. Current and investigational anti-obesity drugs help reduce weight and offer additional benefits, but more effective options are needed. Drugs Ther Perspect 36, 12–16 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40267-019-00679-9

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