Commonly used products for weight reduction
| Drug | Action mechanism | Classification by US Controlled Substances Act | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orlistat | Long-term | A reversible gastric and pancreatic lipase inhibitor that reduces the absorption of dietary fat | Not a controlled substance |
| Phentermine | Short-term | Sympathomimetic amine | Schedule IV |
| Diethylpropion | Short-term | Sympathomimetic amine | Schedule IV |
| Mazindol | Short-term | Sympathomimetic amine | Not available in US |
| Phentermine/topiramate (Qsymia?) | Long-term | Sympathomimetic amine/antiepileptic drug | Schedule IV |
| Lorcaserin (Belviq?) | Long-term | 5-HT2c receptor agonist | Schedule IV |
| Naltrexone/bupropion (Contrave?) | Long-term | Opioid antagonist/anti-depressant | Not a controlled substance |
| Liraglutide (Victoza?) | Long-term | GLP-1 analogue | Not a controlled substance |
Short-term therapy is considered as a few weeks, usually up to 12 weeks.