title: New drug targets for the treatment of obesity.
abstract: There is a huge void in the current pharmacological treatment options for obesity. This gap is surprising given the high prevalence and associated costs of obesity. Many factors have prevented active drug development, including the poor safety and efficacy of earlier antiobesity drugs. However, there are now several compelling targets on the horizon. The new generation of antiobesity drugs offers hope for the management of obesity, but no single agent is likely to be a panacea. Rather, obesity will need to be managed like many other chronic diseases, with combination therapies and long-term treatment in order to achieve sustained success. New targets have arisen as more research has been performed to understand the complex circuitry that controls energy homeostasis. The goal of this review is to discuss the latest pharmacological agents and strategies that are under development and that may eventually be used for the treatment of obesity.
authors.affiliation: Section of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Nutrition Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Powell
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Apovian
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Aronne
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019440:Anti-Obesity Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017321:Clinical Trials, Phase I as Topic; D017322:Clinical Trials, Phase II as Topic; D017326:Clinical Trials, Phase III as Topic; D004338:Drug Combinations; D015195:Drug Design; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004734:Energy Metabolism / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D009765:Obesity / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011955:Receptors, Drug / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D019440:Anti-Obesity Agents; D004338:Drug Combinations; D011955:Receptors, Drug