Recent progress in the pharmacotherapy for obesity

Obesity has become a global epidemic and is one of the most significant public health challenges. Traditional interventions, including diet and exercise, often fail to deliver sustained weight loss due to the intricate neuroendocrine systems regulating energy balance. In this review, we explore current anti-obesity medications (AOMs) such as gastrointestinal lipase inhibitors, nutrient-stimulated hormone-based therapies, and emerging multi-receptor agonists, emphasizing their mechanisms, efficiency, and limitations. In addition, innovative approaches, including combinatory therapies and repurposed drugs in the pipeline, highlight opportunities to address unmet needs, offering potential for durable weight loss and improved metabolic outcomes. However, challenges in ensuring safety, tolerability, and equitable access remain critical barriers. Advancing anti-obesity pharmacotherapy through multidisciplinary research and personalized approaches holds the promise to transform obesity management, reduce associated comorbidities, and alleviate the global burden of this condition.