This review presents information regarding both current therapy and pharmacological treatments commonly used in the past, but no longer available or not formally considered as anti-obesity agents. We extensively reviewed the criteria used by American and European agencies to evaluate efficacy and to approve anti-obesity drugs, and also comment on pharmacologic agent derivatives as: beta-phenetilamine (dietylpropion, fenfluramine, dexfenfluramine, phentermine and sibutramine), tricyclic (mazindol), phenylpropanolamine (ephedrine, phenylpropanolamine), oxi-trifluor-phenylpropanolamine (fluoxetine), naftilamine (sertraline) and lipstatine (orlistat). Also, an analysis of all clinical trials with drugs used for the treatment of obesity longer than ten weeks is presented.
Obesity; Treatment; Dietylpropion; Dexfenfluramine; Fenfluramine; Sibutramine; Orlistat
