A recent meta-analysis of clinical trials found that each of the five FDA-approved weight loss medications was successful in achieving at least 5% weight loss in a year, compared with participants who had been given a placebo. Let’s have a look at these drugs.

1.Orlistat

It comes in two forms- Orlistat 60 mg- Alli and Orlistat 120 mg- Xenical. It causes 30 % of fat and calories to be absorbed into the gut. Side effects of this medication include diarrhoea from including fatty foods when you are on this medication. Xenical was approved as a prescription product by the U. S. FDA in 1999 for the obesity problem. In 2010, the FDA issued a safety warning about this drug stating that some people who take Orlistat are potentially at risk of liver failure and so the drug label started including new safety information about the liver injury.

2.Phentermine And Topiramate

It comes with a brand name of Qsymia.

Phentermine helps in treating short-term weight loss, whereas topiramate triggers satiety. After a year of taking Qsymia, patients lost, on average, 8.9 per cent of their weight, those who were on a high dose and those taking the recommended dose experienced a 6.7 per cent weight loss compared to those people who were taking treatment with a placebo. Qsymia is not recommended for people having glaucoma or hyperthyroidism. Patients who have recently got a heart attack or stroke are also not recommended to take this medication.

3.Lorcaserin Hydrochloride

It comes with a brand name of Belviq.

This drug works on appetite and metabolism and keeps them appropriate. It was approved for adults with a BMI greater than 30, and for those adults with a BMI of 27 or more who also have high blood pressure, high cholesterol or type 2 diabetes. The drug works to stimulate the serotonin 2CV receptor in the brain, which may help patients feel fuller after eating less. In clinical trials, 38% of patients lost at least 5 per cent of their total body weight, as compared to 16% per cent of patients treated with a placebo.

The FDA reports positive effects on glycemic control for patients with type 2 diabetes. The drug’s negative side effects include migraines. For patients with diabetes, common side effects also include hypoglycemia, headache, back pain, cough, and fatigue. Memory and attention problems, as well as serotonin syndrome, are other side effects to note.

4.Naltrexone Hydrochloride And Bupropion Hydrochloride

It comes with a brand name of Contrave.

This is an extended-release mixture of two FDA-approved medications, antidepressant and smoking cessation medication and a drug that treats alcohol and opioid addiction. FDA approved it in 2014 for adults with a BMI>30 and for adults with a BMI of twenty-seven or more who also have type 2 diabetes or high cholesterol.

5.Liraglutide

It comes with a brand name of Saxenda.

This drug is a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist, a class that other drugs used to work on diabetes fall into. It should not be used with any other drug in this class, even Victoza, as it has the same active ingredient at different doses.

These new drugs for weight loss approved by the FDA in the past 3-4 years heaved a sigh of relief for those who are tired of using the conventional weight loss medication. Now, with these they can hope for the perfect body and best personality, leaving behind the extra fats.