Anti-Obesity Medications (Benzophetamine, Bupropion/Naltrexone, Diethylpropion, Liraglutide, Lorcaserin, Orlistat, Phendimetrazine, Phentermine, Phentermine/Topiramate) & Duration of Use and Patient Characteristics

The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (P.L. 115-123) included a provision for the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to review the prevalence of obesity and the use of obesity drugs. GAO requested that FDA assess utilization patterns and treatment duration for the nine available prescription used to treat obesity. FDA used the Sentinel System to assess the baseline characteristics of patients initiating weight management drugs and evaluate the duration of treatment of the first treatment episode and cumulative duration across all treatment episodes. These results were incorporated into the GAO report entitled, “Few Adults Used Prescription Drugs for Weight Loss and Insurance Coverage Varied.”