Several drugs are currently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat overweight and obesity. These include orlistat (trade names Xenical/Alli), phentermine-topiramate (trade name Qsymia), naltrexone-bupropion (trade name Contrave), liraglutide (trade name Saxenda), semaglutide (trade names Wegovy/Ozempic), and tirzepatide (trade name Mounjaro).
Typically, weight-loss drugs are only prescribed to adults with obesity (BMI of 30 or greater) or who have a BMI of 27 or greater and other weight-related comorbidities like hypertension (high blood pressure) or type 2 diabetes.
A drug called setmelanotide (trade name Imcivree) is also approved for weight loss, but its use is limited to people with one of three rare genetic disorders.[1]