Polymeric Carriers for Controlled Drug Delivery in Obesity Treatment.

The global rise in the prevalence of obesity and affiliated metabolic syndrome poses a significant threat to human health. Various approaches, including bariatric surgery and pharmacotherapy, have been used in the clinical setting for obesity treatment; however, these conventional options remain ineffective and carry risks of adverse effects. Therefore, treatments with higher efficacy and specificity are urgently required. Emerging drug delivery systems use polymeric materials and chemical strategies to improve therapeutic efficacy and specificity through stabilization and spatiotemporally controlled release of antiobesity agents. In this review, we provide insights into current treatments for obesity with a focus on recent developments of polymeric carriers for enhanced antiobesity drug delivery.