Table 6.

Anti-obesity medications for the pediatric population

Drug name	Mechanism of action	Indication	Considerations
Orlistat	Pancreatic and gastric lipase inhibitor	Obesity ≥ 12 years old	Flatulence, oily spotty stools, diarrhea, vitamin/mineral deficiencies
Phentermine	Sympathomimetic amine	Obesity > 16 years old Short-term use	Increases heart rate and blood pressure and causes dry mouth, insomnia, constipation, anxiety, irritability
Liraglutide 3.0 mg	GLP-1 receptor agonist	Adolescents (12−17-year-old) with a BMI corresponding to ≥ 30 kg/m2 for adults and body weight > 60 kg	Abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, potential hypoglycemia; contraindicated with history or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma, MEN type 2, ESRD

Approved by the Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety.

GLP-1, glucagon-like peptide-1; BMI, body mass index; MEN, multiple endocrine neoplasia; ESRD, end-stage renal disease.