Table 6.

Medications approved by the EMA for obesity. Indication, drug class, mechanism and side-effects for each medication is included.¹³ Risk factors include prediabetes, type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, dyslipidaemia and obstructive sleep apnoea.¹⁰

	Orlistat	Liraglutide (Saxenda)	Naltrexone plus bupropion
Indication	BMI≥30 or ≥28 kg/m2 with ≥1 risk factor	BMI≥30 or ≥27 kg/m2 with ≥1 risk factor	BMI≥30 kg/m2 or ≥27 with ≥1 risk factor
Drug class	Gastric and pancreatic lipase inhibitor	Glucagon-like peptide-1 agonist	Noradrenaline and dopamine reuptake inhibitor plus opioid antagonist
Mechanism	Reduces dietary fat absorption	Increases satiety, delays gastric emptying	Central appetite suppressant
Side effects	Abdominal pain, flatulence, steatorrhoea, anxiety, anorectal haemorrhage, bullous dermatitis, cholelithiasis, diverticulitis, hepatitis, oxalate nephropathy, pancreatitis, renal failure	Nausea, vomiting, constipation, diarrhoea, dizziness, gallbladder disorders, increased risk of infection, insomnia, pancreatitis, tachycardia	Nausea, vomiting, constipation, dry mouth, dizziness, increased blood pressure, insomnia, anxiety, agitation
Contraindications	Cholestasis, chronic malabsorption syndrome, concomitant use with other medications for weight loss	Diabetic gastroparesis, inflammatory bowel disease, severe congestive cardiac failure, ≥75 years old, obesity due to endocrinological or eating disorders, concomitant use with other medications for weight loss	Uncontrolled hypertension

BMI, body mass index; EMA, European Medicines Agency.