Pharmacotherapy in obesity: the current state and the near future

Abstract

Background: In Korea, the prevalence of obesity, morbid obesity with serious complications, and childhood obesity are rapidly increasing. To control the obesity pandemic, both prevention and treatment are essential strategic targets. While lifestyle modification is fundamental in obesity treatment, due to the complex appetite-controlling system in the body and the rapidly Westernizing environment, more effective treatment tools are required. Current Concepts: There are 4 types of drugs that have been approved for the treatment of obesity in Korea. They are (1) appetite suppressants for short-term therapy, (2) dietary fat absorption inhibitors, (3) glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists, and (4) fixed-dose combination drugs for appetite control. However, a large amount of weight reduction cannot be achieved with these drugs. The greatest amount of weight reduction of approximately 11% has been reported for phentermine/topiramate combination treatment. Recently, peptide agents have been under development and 2 of these agents, semaglutide, a second generation GLP-1 receptor agonist, and tirzepatide, a glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide/GLP-1 receptor dual agonist, are expected to be available in the near future. Discussion and Conclusion: Both semaglutide and tirzepatide are more effective than currently available anti-obesity drugs. Semaglutide and tirzepatide reduced the body weight of people with obesity without diabetes by 14.9% and 20.9%, respectively. However, because of the mechanism of GLP-1 receptor agonism, gastrointestinal adverse events, including nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, and abdominal pain, were problematic in many patients, although these adverse events were generally acceptable. Both drugs will be excellent options for obesity treatment in the near future. © Korean Medical Association.