April 26, 2024 – Before ozone, Wegovy or Zepbound, all have affordable, safe and effective weight loss pills. FDA-approved obesity drugs such as orlistat (trade name: Xenical), phentermine/topiramate (Quasimia) and naltrexone/bupropion extended-release (Contravi) has been on the market for decades.
“Some of the older obesity medications date back to the 1950s and 1960s, such as phentermine, which remains one of the most widely prescribed medications in the world,” says Anthony Auriemma, MD, medical director of Ascension Weight Loss Solutions in Illinois. .
Although newer GLP-1 Similar drugs Semaglutide (ozone, wiggs) typically lead to greater weight loss, but the benefits of more established drugs—such as lower cost, plentiful supply, and ease of access—also make them valuable options, said Andersen, an obesity expert at the Mayo Clinic. says Rez Acosta, MD.
“Many people say that GLP-1 is the first drug that can achieve double-digit weight loss,” he said. “That’s not true. Qsymia is already in double digits, give you 11% [of total body weight loss] It is 13% at the medium dose and 13% at the high dose.
Two low-cost and effective medications can achieve lower levels of weight loss: Contrave (about 9 percent) and Xenical (5 to 6 percent).
Some patients can get drugmaker coupons for as low as $100 a month for Qsymia and Contrave, and for generic phentermine for as little as $20 a month, Auriemma said. You can buy Xenical for $200 to $300 a month. Compare these costs to a GLP-1 such as Ozempic, which can cost you at least $500 per month, all the way up to thousands of dollars.
An independent Evaluate The Institute for Clinical and Economic Review found that Qsymia was the most cost-effective drug among semaglutide and other obesity drugs before it. John Amos, CEO of VIVUS, the pharmaceutical company behind Qsymia, said Qsymia’s “dual mechanism” suppresses your appetite in the morning, while its extended-release function keeps you full in the afternoon, which means Cut back on snacks and excess calories.
Another major difference between the older obesity drug and the newer GLP-1 is that the former is administered orally, while the latter is administered by injection.
“The real benefit of older drugs like Phentermine, Contrave or Qsymia is that most of them avoid a lot of gastrointestinal tract GLP-1 drug side effects you have heard about, issues that people often worry about nausea, Vomitand some talk about Gastroparesisor gastric paralysis,” Auriemma said.
Keep in mind: Some patients may need to take obesity medications for longer, which makes finding lower-cost medications even more important. It’s also important to remember that obesity medications are not “one size fits all” because our bodies don’t respond to medications in the same way, and so do our eating habits and lifestyles. Therefore, current fads or popular waves should not be the decision-maker when considering medications. Talk to your doctor to find out which weight loss medication, if any, is right for you, Auriemma says.
“If you can’t afford GLP-1s, your insurance doesn’t want to cover them, or you can’t get them, there are other options that are already FDA-approved,” Acosta said. “When we mapped costs and outcomes, other drugs, particularly phentermine/topiramate, emerged as the most cost-effective drugs.”
