Review of Advances in Anti-obesity Pharmacotherapy: Implications for a Multimodal Treatment Approach with Metabolic Surgery

There is a growing need for treatments for patients who would benefit from further weight loss following bariatric surgery or weight loss maintenance/long-term disease remission. Currently, therapeutic options are limited. Although largely dismissed previously, advances in weight loss pharmacotherapy now offer the possibility of achieving clinically significant weight loss. Historical comparisons drawn between the effects of medications vs surgery are generally inaccurate as novel classes of anti-obesity pharmacotherapy have since been developed and moreover, reflect an outdated approach in comparing medicine with surgery. Herein, we provide an overview of the most recently developed anti-obesity medications which may not only present a potentially innovative approach to medical treatment of obesity but may also inspire renewed enthusiasm for investigating what can be achieved through multimodal care.