Addressing the unmet medical need for safe and effective weight loss therapies.

Obesity is a significant healthcare problem worldwide and increases the risk of developing debilitating diseases including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. Although the health benefits of weight reduction are well-recognized, weight loss by diet and exercise fail in most patients, and the current marketed drugs have had limited success. It is clear that there is a significant unmet medical need for safe and effective weight-reducing agents. In this review, the current status of potential weight loss approaches that are in development by the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry are discussed. This should lead to novel treatments that can be used long-term to effectively treat this serious metabolic disorder.