How well do weight-loss drugs work?
Prescription weight-loss PILLS that you can use for more than 12 weeks, called long-term use, lead to major weight loss compared with an inactive treatment that doesn’t use medicine, called a placebo. The combination of weight-loss medicine and lifestyle changes leads to greater weight loss than do lifestyle changes alone.
How long do I take a weight-loss drug?
How long you take a weight-PILLS drug depends on whether the drug helps you lose weight. If you’ve lost enough weight to improve your health and you haven’t had serious side effects, your health care provider may suggest that you take the drug long term.
If you haven’t lost at least 5% of your body weight after taking the full dose of a drug for 3 to 6 months, your health care provider will probably change your treatment. They may switch you to a different weight-loss drug.
What drugs are approved for weight loss?
Six weight-loss drugs have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for long-term use:
- Bupropion-naltrexone (Contrave)
- Liraglutide (Saxenda)
- Orlistat (Xenical, Alli)
- Phentermine-topiramate (Qsymia)
- Semaglutide (Wegovy)
- Setmelanotide (Imcivree)
Most prescription weight-loss drugs work by making you feel less hungry or fuller. Some do both. The exception is orlistat. It affects the way your body absorbs fat.
