Biomolecules & Therapeutics

The Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology (한국응용약물학회)
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An Overview of Existing and Emerging Weight-Loss Drugs to Target Obesity-Related Complications: Insights from Clinical Trials

  • Mi Kyung Kim (Department of Internal Medicine, Keimyung University, School of Medicine, Dongsan Hospital) ;
  • Hye Soon Kim (Department of Internal Medicine, Keimyung University, School of Medicine, Dongsan Hospital)
  • Received : 2024.11.18
  • Accepted : 2024.12.09
  • Published : 2025.01.01
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Abstract

Obesity requires treatment as it is associated with health problems such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, cardiovascular diseases, and some cancers, which increase mortality rates. Achieving sufficient weight loss to reduce obesity-related diseases requires a variety of interventions, including comprehensive lifestyle modification of diet and exercise, change in behavior, anti-obesity medications, and surgery. To date, anti-obesity agents with various mechanisms of action have been developed, and mostly reduce energy intake, resulting in weight loss of about 5% to 10% compared to baseline. Recently developed drugs and those currently under development have been shown to reduce body weight by more than 10% and are expected to reduce obesity-related complications. This article summarizes existing and emerging anti-obesity medications, with a particular focus on those evaluated in clinical trials.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

This study was supported by Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning (NRF-2021R1I1A3059150) and Korea Health Technology R&D Project through the Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI), fundedby the Ministry of Health & Welfare (HI22C0729), Republic of Korea.

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