Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Antidepressant Drugs: MAOIs and Other Agents01:23

Antidepressant Drugs: MAOIs and Other Agents

1.0K
Atypical antidepressants, including bupropion (Wellbutrin), mirtazapine (Remeron), nefazodone (Serzone), trazodone (Desyrel), and vilazodone (Viibryd), offer unique mechanisms of action. Bupropion weakly inhibits dopamine and norepinephrine reuptake, aiding depression treatment and smoking cessation, with a low risk of sexual dysfunction. Mirtazapine enhances serotonin and norepinephrine neurotransmission, leading to sedation, increased appetite, and weight gain. As a result, it helps treat...
1.0K
Pharmacokinetics in Obese Patients: Drug Absorption and Distribution01:25

Pharmacokinetics in Obese Patients: Drug Absorption and Distribution

324
Obesity significantly alters the pharmacokinetic processes of drug absorption and distribution, presenting unique challenges in medical treatment. The increased fat tissue and decreased lean muscle in obese individuals can significantly affect how drugs are absorbed into the body and distributed across different tissues. This alteration can lead to variances in the effectiveness and safety of medications, necessitating adjustments in dosing or drug selection for obese patients.One notable...
324
Drug Dosing: Obese Patients01:21

Drug Dosing: Obese Patients

315
In the United States, obesity is a prominent concern. It is linked to heightened mortality rates due to increased occurrences of conditions such as hypertension, atherosclerosis, coronary artery disease, and diabetes compared to nonobese individuals. A patient is classified as obese if their actual body weight surpasses the ideal or desirable body weight by 20%, based on Metropolitan Life Insurance Company data. Ideal body weights consider average weights and heights for males and females...
315
Prescription, Nonprescription and Orphan Drugs01:02

Prescription, Nonprescription and Orphan Drugs

1.3K
Prescription drugs require a prescription from a medical practitioner and can only be obtained from a pharmacy. They have many applications, including treating pain, anxiety, and hypertension.
The misuse and addiction to prescription drugs is a growing problem that can affect people of all age groups, specifically teenagers. This can happen when prescription medications are used in ways not intended by the prescriber, such as taking someone else's prescription or using medication for...
1.3K
FDA Approved Drugs: Changes to Approved Drugs01:26

FDA Approved Drugs: Changes to Approved Drugs

292
Post-approval, manufacturers may modify an approved new or generic drug product. Such modifications can encompass alterations in the Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API), manufacturing process, formulation, batch size, manufacturing site, and container closure system (FDA Guidance for Industry, April 2004). Often, a drug product may undergo multiple changes.These modifications require careful evaluation to determine their potential impact on the drug product's identity, strength, quality,...
292
Oral Hypoglycemic Agents: Biguanides and Glitazones01:26

Oral Hypoglycemic Agents: Biguanides and Glitazones

739
Biguanides, particularly metformin (Glucophage), are insulin sensitizers that enhance glucose uptake, thereby reducing insulin resistance. Unlike sulfonylureas, metformin doesn't prompt insulin secretion, which helps to curb hypoglycemia risk. Metformin is beneficial in treating conditions like polycystic ovary syndrome due to its insulin-resistance reduction capability. The drug's primary action involves curtailing hepatic gluconeogenesis, a significant contributor to high blood...
739

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Pharmacotherapy for Obesity and Changes in Eating Behavior: a Patient and Physician's Perspective.

Advances in therapy·2016
Same author

The case of posterior reversible encephalopathy with intracranial hemorrhage was likely due to uncontrolled hypertension, and was unrelated and coincidental to long-term phentermine use.

The neurologist·2015
Same author

Association of subarachnoid hemorrhage and phentermine usage: Coincidence, not causation.

Journal of the American Pharmacists Association : JAPhA·2015
Same author

How physician obesity medicine specialists treated obesity before 2012 new drug approvals.

Obesity surgery·2014
Same author

Letter by hendricks regarding article, "obesity and cardiovascular disease".

Circulation·2012
Same author

Should the FDA approval process for weight-loss drugs be modified?

American journal of health-system pharmacy : AJHP : official journal of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists·2011
Same journal

Obesity-Related Insulin Resistance Indices and CKD Risk in Patients with Diabetes and Coronary Heart Disease: A Multicenter Cohort Analysis.

Diabetes, metabolic syndrome and obesity : targets and therapy·2026
Same journal

Targeting Mitochondria-Associated Endoplasmic Reticulum Membranes (MAMs): A Novel Therapeutic Strategy for Diabetic Complications.

Diabetes, metabolic syndrome and obesity : targets and therapy·2026
Same journal

Association Between First-Trimester Gestational Weight Gain and the Risks of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus and Macrosomia.

Diabetes, metabolic syndrome and obesity : targets and therapy·2026
Same journal

Integrated Bioinformatic and Experimental Identification of DHCR24 and NRG1 as Key Cellular Aging Genes in Diabetic Cardiomyopathy.

Diabetes, metabolic syndrome and obesity : targets and therapy·2026
Same journal

Inflammation Mediates the Relationship Between Serum Uric Acid and New-Onset Diabetes Risk in Patients with Coronary Heart Disease: Results from a Multicenter Cohort Study.

Diabetes, metabolic syndrome and obesity : targets and therapy·2026
Same journal

Mediating Role of Plasma Biomarkers Associated with Metabolic Syndrome in Cognitive Decline Among Older Adults.

Diabetes, metabolic syndrome and obesity : targets and therapy·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 27, 2026

Multidisciplinary Approach to Obesity Management: A Case Report
05:10

Multidisciplinary Approach to Obesity Management: A Case Report

Published on: May 30, 2025

1.4K

Off-label drugs for weight management.

Ed J Hendricks1

  • 1Center for Weight Management, Roseville and Sacramento, CA, USA.

Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity : Targets and Therapy
|June 28, 2017
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Obesity pharmacotherapy faces slow FDA approval, leading physicians to use safe, effective off-label drugs like phentermine. Rehabilitating these treatments can combat the growing obesity epidemic.

Keywords:
leptinmetforminobesityoverfatpharmacotherapyphentermine

More Related Videos

Self-Administration of Drugs in Mouse Models of Feeding and Obesity
03:37

Self-Administration of Drugs in Mouse Models of Feeding and Obesity

Published on: June 8, 2021

5.2K
An Acupoint Catgut-embedding Therapy for Treating Obesity
04:50

An Acupoint Catgut-embedding Therapy for Treating Obesity

Published on: April 4, 2025

1.7K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Feb 27, 2026

Multidisciplinary Approach to Obesity Management: A Case Report
05:10

Multidisciplinary Approach to Obesity Management: A Case Report

Published on: May 30, 2025

1.4K
Self-Administration of Drugs in Mouse Models of Feeding and Obesity
03:37

Self-Administration of Drugs in Mouse Models of Feeding and Obesity

Published on: June 8, 2021

5.2K
An Acupoint Catgut-embedding Therapy for Treating Obesity
04:50

An Acupoint Catgut-embedding Therapy for Treating Obesity

Published on: April 4, 2025

1.7K

Area of Science:

  • Endocrinology
  • Pharmacology
  • Public Health

Background:

  • The global obesity pandemic affects billions, necessitating effective pharmacotherapy.
  • Current US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for obesity drugs is slow, with only 9 approved treatments available.
  • Physicians increasingly use off-label drug use to manage excess adiposity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To highlight the limitations in FDA-approved obesity pharmacotherapy.
  • To advocate for the rehabilitation and increased use of established, safe, and cost-effective medications like phentermine.
  • To address the disparity between the urgent need for obesity treatments and the slow pace of drug approval.

Main Methods:

  • Review of FDA drug approval statistics for obesity compared to other diseases.
  • Analysis of the historical and current use of phentermine and diethylpropion for obesity.
  • Discussion of the safety and efficacy of off-label drug use in obesity management.

Main Results:

  • The FDA has approved significantly fewer obesity drugs (6 in 20 years) compared to cancer (208), cardiovascular (118), neurological (168), and endocrinologic (223) diseases.
  • Phentermine, approved in 1959, is widely used off-label for long-term obesity treatment and has demonstrated safety and effectiveness.
  • Phentermine and diethylpropion are inexpensive generic options that have been "maligned inappropriately" due to structural similarities to amphetamines and unproven adverse effect concerns.

Conclusions:

  • The slow FDA approval rate for obesity drugs necessitates continued reliance on off-label prescriptions.
  • Phentermine and diethylpropion are safe, effective, and affordable options that should be reconsidered for wider use in combating the obesity epidemic.
  • Rehabilitating and promoting the use of these established medications is crucial until more novel treatments receive FDA approval.