Existing and Emerging Molecular Targets for the Pharmacotherapy of Obesity

Review
In: Endotext [Internet]. South Dartmouth (MA): MDText.com, Inc.; 2000.
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Excerpt

Obesity is pandemic and a multidisciplinary approach is critical for its management. Anti-obesity treatment includes lifestyle modifications combined with anti-obesity medications. Anti-obesity drugs target either central nervous system pathways, which regulate sensations of satiety and fullness, or peripheral modulators of digestion, metabolism and lipogenesis. Combined anti-obesity agents is a novel, promising field, especially the co-administration of gut hormone analogues with centrally acting molecules. Consequently, it is hoped that in the near future, individualized pharmacological management of obesity could be meaningfully achieved by targeting different pathways governing energy homeostasis and weight regulation. This chapter reviews potential molecular targets of the energy homeostasis system along with new anti-obesity drugs currently under investigation. For complete coverage of all related areas of Endocrinology, please visit our on-line FREE web-text, WWW.ENDOTEXT.ORG.

Publication types

  • Review