. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2021 Aug 1.

Published in final edited form as: Expert Opin Pharmacother. 2020 Apr 15;21(11):1319–1328. doi: 10.1080/14656566.2020.1748599

Table 1.

History of antiobesity drug approvals in the United States

Year approved	Generic name (Brand names)
1947	Desoxyephedrine (Desoxyn, Hydrin)^*
1956	Phenmetrazine (Preludin)^*
1959	Phentermine (Ionamin^*)
1959	Diethylpropion (Tenuate)
1959	Phendimetrazine (Bontril, Plegine)
1960	Benzphetamine (Didrex)
1973	Mazindol (Sanorex)^*
1973	Fenfluramine (Pondimin)^*
1973	Chlorphentermine (Pre-Sate)^*
1996	Dexfenfluramine (Redux)^*
1997	Sibutramine (Meridia)^*
1999	Orlistat (Xenical)
2012	Phentermine/topiramate (Qsymia)
2012	Lorcaserin (Belviq)^*
2014	Liraglutide 3.0 mg (Saxenda)
2014	Naltrexone/bupropion (Contrave)

When they are several brand names, only the originally approved name is shown. For phentermine, Ionamin, a resin product, is no longer marketed, but the drug is available under different brand names such as Adipex-P, Suprenza, and Lomaira.

Withdrawn due to risks or poor sales. Some of the drugs withdrawn in the US continue to be available in other countries.

Not listed above: Aminorex was approved in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria in 1965, but was withdrawn in 1972. Rimonabant was approved in the European Union and a few other countries in 2006, but was removed from markets in 2008.