Anti-obesity drugs: The present and future perspectives

The management of obesity has undertaken a major change in recent years due to the arrival of efficient new drugs. These new treatments, prescribed along with nutritional and physical activity advice, are able to induce significant weight loss without serious adverse effects reported for the moment, as opposed to the previous failures in the history of obe-sity drug development. For the majority, their mechanism of action is to increase fullness and satiety and therefore allow a decrease in food intake without frustration. Among these drugs, GLP1 receptor agonists (liraglutide and semaglutide) are already part of the therapeutic options and are now part of the new French recommendations for the management of obesity. Other promising molecules are in development, such as tirzepatide, already used in the United States. In this review, we discuss the mechanisms, effectiveness, side effects of the main drugs that are currently available for prescription, those that will very soon be or those that are still under development. We also address the limits and points of vigilance concerning these new treat-ments. Among these, we currently have only short to medium-term data available which raises questions given the chronic nature of obesity. There are still uncertainties about the neces-sary and usefulness duration of treatment, the potential stacking of treatments or therapeutic strategies, and the risk of weight regain upon treatment discontinuation.& COPY; 2023 Societe francaise de nutrition. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.