The first decade of sibutramine and orlistat: a reappraisal of their expanding roles in the treatment of obesity and associated conditions

Abstract

Ancillary therapies for weight management, consisting mainly of diet and exercise programs that incorporate variable levels of lifestyle modification techniques, are frequently ineffective to achieve clinically meaningful weight loss and maintenance. Although pharmacological treatment of obesity is widely used in most countries, the number of available drugs is still very limited. The most widely used anti-obesity agents are sibutramine and orlistat, both available in clinical practice for about a decade. A large number of clinical trials have demonstrated that both agents are safe and well tolerated, with a level of efficacy in the moderate weight loss recommended by the most relevant clinical guidelines. Several studies have assessed the efficacy and safety of sibutramine and orlistat in adolescents and also for the treatment of some associated conditions in adults, including type 2 diabetes, polycystic ovary syndrome and binge eating disorder. The positive results of these studies suggest an expanding role for both agents, not only for the treatment of obesity, but also for associated conditions. After the efficacy of orlistat for the prevention of type 2 diabetes demonstrated in the XENDOS study, the results of SCOUT study are awaited for a better evaluation of sibutramine impact on cardiovascular outcomes.