Treatment: New Drugs

Obesity, a dramatic worldwide medical burden, is a risk factor for the development of cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes mellitus and furthermore is also associated with an elevated risk of cardiovascular mortality. Lifestyle modifications are not always sufficient to limit body weight excess; thus, safe and effective antiobesity drugs are urgently needed to help clinicians treat patients with efficacy; particularly, for those patients who do not meet eligibility criteria for bariatric surgery. This article will focus mainly on United States and Europe approved antiobesity drugs critically discussing their efficacy and emphasizing their safety profile. In detail, clinical trial data generated to obtain approval from agencies will be presented. It is, however, important to keep in mind that not always these types of clinical trials provide strict guidance for clinicians.