title: Pharmacotherapy of obesity.
abstract: Obesity has become a significant health problem in industrialised and developing countries, and despite all nutritional and behavioural approaches, its prevalence is still increasing. In recent years, the identification and characterisation of central and peripheral mechanisms involved in the regulation of energy balance has made remarkable progress and provided numerous targets for novel anti-obesity agents. However, only few anti-obesity drugs are on the market and not many compounds have entered clinical development. In the present review, the clinically available agents are discussed and their pharmacological profiles are compared. Some of the drugs that are currently in clinical development are mentioned as examples of the possible future range of anti-obesity agents. Selected topics in drug discovery are presented to illustrate novel targets and concepts for the pharmacotherapy of obesity.
authors.affiliation: Applied Pharmacology, Biozentrum/Pharmazentrum, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland. karl.hofbauer@unibas.ch
authors.forename: K G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Hofbauer
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Nicholson
mesh_terms: D019440:Anti-Obesity Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003503:Cyclobutanes / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015195:Drug Design; D004734:Energy Metabolism / Q000187:drug effects; D006706:Homeostasis / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007783:Lactones / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008019:Life Style; D008954:Models, Biological; D009765:Obesity / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000601:surgery; D000077403:Orlistat; D010880:Piperidines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011720:Pyrazoles / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000077285:Rimonabant; D013678:Technology, Pharmaceutical / Q000639:trends
chemical_list: D019440:Anti-Obesity Agents; D003503:Cyclobutanes; D007783:Lactones; D010880:Piperidines; D011720:Pyrazoles; D000077403:Orlistat; D000077285:Rimonabant; C058254:sibutramine