Biomol Ther.  2025 Jan;33(1):5-17. 10.4062/biomolther.2024.228.

An Overview of Existing and Emerging Weight-Loss Drugs to Target Obesity-Related Complications: Insights from Clinical Trials

• Kim MK
• Kim HS

• KMID: 2563805
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4062/biomolther.2024.228

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.

Keyword

Obesity; Anti-obesity agents; Weight loss; Clinical trial