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Benefit-Risk Assessment of Orlistat in the Treatment of Obesity

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Abstract

Orlistat, an inhibitor of intestinal lipase, has been available for the treatment of obesity for nearly two decades. In conjunction with a hypocaloric diet, orlistat treatment results in a placebo-subtracted reduction in body weight of around 3 kg at 1 year, and increases the likelihood of achieving clinically significant (≥5 %) weight loss by around 20 %. Orlistat-induced weight loss also confers modest improvements in systolic and diastolic blood pressure, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, glycemic parameters, and progression to diabetes in people with impaired glucose tolerance. Overall, it has a good safety profile, and serious adverse events (including reports of severe kidney and liver injury) are rare. However, a high rate of gastrointestinal side effects limits adherence to treatment.

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Acknowledgments

No sources of funding were used to assist in the preparation of this manuscript. Priya Sumithran and Joseph Proietto have no conflicts of interest that are directly relevant to the content of this review.

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  1. Department of Medicine (Austin Health), University of Melbourne, Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital, Heidelberg, VIC, 3081, Australia

    Priya Sumithran & Joseph Proietto

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  1. Priya Sumithran
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  2. Joseph Proietto
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Correspondence to Priya Sumithran.

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Sumithran, P., Proietto, J. Benefit-Risk Assessment of Orlistat in the Treatment of Obesity. Drug Saf 37, 597–608 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40264-014-0210-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40264-014-0210-7

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