April 26, 2024– Before there was Ozempic, Wegovy, or Zepbound, there were cost-friendly, safe, and reliable weight-loss drugs. FDA-approved weight problems medication like orlistat (trademark name: Xenical), phentermine/topiramate (Qsymia), and naltrexone/bupropion extended release (Contrave) have actually been on the marketplace for years.
“Some older weight problems medications go all the method back to the ’50s and ’60s– like phentermine, which is still among the most extensively recommended medications worldwide,” stated Anthony Auriemma, MD, medical director of Ascension Illinois Weight Loss Solutions.
While more recent GLP-1 drugs like semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) typically cause higher degrees of weight-loss, the advantages of more recognized drugs– like lower expenses, adequate supply, and ease of gain access to– likewise makes them important alternatives, stated Andres Acosta, MD, a weight problems professional with the Mayo Clinic.
“Many individuals state that the GLP-1s are the very first medications to provide you weight-loss at double digits,” he stated. “That is not real. Qsymia was currently at double digits, offering you 11% [of total body weight loss] at the medium dosage and 13% at the high dosage.”
And 2 cost-friendly and efficient drugs provide lower degrees of weight reduction: Contrave (around 9%) and Xenical (5% to 6%).
Some clients can get drugmaker vouchers for Qsymia and Contrave for as low as $100 each month, and generic phentermine as low as $20 monthly, Auriemma stated. You can discover Xenical for $200 to $300 monthly. Compare these expenses to GLP-1s, like Ozempic, where you are spending a minimum of $500, all the method as much as countless dollars, each month.
An independent evaluation by the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review discovered that Qsymia is the most affordable medication amongst semaglutide and other weight problems drugs that came before it. Qsymia’s “double system” reduces your hunger in the early morning, and the extended-release function can keep you satisfied into the afternoon– which suggests less snacking and excess calories, according to John Amos, CEO of VIVUS, the drug business behind Qsymia.
Another crucial distinction in between older weight problems drugs and more recent GLP-1s is that the previous are taken orally, and you get the latter as shots.
“The actually good aspect of older medications like phentermine, Contrave, or Qsymia is that the majority of them prevent a number of the intestinal negative effects that you find out about with GLP-1 drugs, where individuals typically have issues about queasiness, throwing up, and some discuss gastroparesis, or stomach paralysis,” stated Auriemma.
Bear in mind: Some clients might require to take weight problems medications for longer amount of times, that makes looking for a cost-friendly drug much more crucial. It is likewise crucial to keep in mind that weight problems medication is not “one-size-fits-all,” due to the fact that our bodies do not have the very same responses to medications, nor do all of us have comparable consuming routines and way of lives. Existing trends or waves of appeal must not be the decision-maker when thinking about a medication. Talk to your medical professional about which, if any, weight problems drug might be ideal for you,