Exenatide as a novel weight loss modality in patients without diabetes

To evaluate the potential role of exenatide for weight loss in overweight or obese adults without diabetes.

PubMed (1946-August 2012) and EMBASE (1974-August 2012) were used to conduct a literature search utilizing the terms exenatide, weight loss, obesity, and overweight. Additional references were identified by bibliographic review of relevant articles.

Studies assessing the use of exenatide in adult subjects without type 2 diabetes or polycystic ovary syndrome and reporting effects on body weight were included.

Five studies were identified that reported use of exenatide in nondiabetic adults and included weight change as an outcomes measure. In all 5 of these studies, subjects taking exenatide experienced statistically significant weight loss, which ranged from 2.0 ± 2.8 to 5.1 ± 0.5 kg. Two of the trials were randomized, placebo-controlled studies; 1 trial was a randomized, open-label investigation; 1 study had a prospective, open-label cohort design; and the remaining study was a chart review. Adverse events experienced with exenatide were primarily gastrointestinal in nature, although each trial reported the drug to be well tolerated.

Obesity continues to be a national epidemic, while choices for effective pharmacologic treatments are extremely limited. Exenatide appears to have promising effects on weight in overweight or obese adults without type 2 diabetes. Further investigations with large, placebo-controlled trials assessing long-term weight loss as a primary outcome are warranted.