Peripherally acting antiobesity agents

What are Peripherally acting antiobesity agents?

Peripherally acting antiobesity agents are drugs that assist with weight loss, without affecting the brain or suppressing the appetite. It inhibits pancreatic lipase and prevents fat breakdown in the gastrointestinal tract therefore reduces intestinal absorption of fat. It is used to treat obesity, with diet and exercise.

The FDA has approved six of these drugs—orlistat (Xenical, Alli), phentermine-topiramate (Qsymia), naltrexone-bupropion (Contrave), liraglutide (Saxenda), semaglutide (Wegovy), and tirzepatide (Zepbound)—for long-term use. Four of these drugs are approved for adults and children ages 12 and older.

Current antiobesity drugs and their mechanism of action. Current antiobesity drugs act through several potential mechanisms including increase energy expenditure, appetite suppression, inhibition of digestive enzymes, or interference in the absorption, at the level of the intestinal tract, of fat or sugar from food.

The medications liraglutide, naltrexone/bupropion, orlistat, semaglutide, and tirzepatide are approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for weight management in combination with reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity.

The hormone leptin is produced by fat cells and is secreted into our bloodstream. Leptin reduces a person’s appetite by acting on specific centres of their brain to reduce their urge to eat. It also seems to control how the body manages its store of body fat.

Obesity is a complex and costly chronic disease influenced by many factors. These factors include health behaviors, stress, health conditions and medications, genes, and people’s environment. Knowing the risk factors can help individuals and communities take steps to prevent and reduce obesity.