phentermine / Generic mfg. - LARVOL DELTA

Incretin-Based Therapies and Post-Bariatric Surgery Alcohol Use Disorder. (PubMed, JAMA Netw Open) - "Post-bariatric surgery treatment with an IBT (semaglutide, liraglutide, or tirzepatide) vs non-IBT AOMs (orlistat, phentermine, low-dose naltrexone, benzphetamine, phendimetrazine, or diethylpropion). These findings suggest potential neurobehavioral benefits associated with IBTs that may inform AOM selection in this high-risk population. Prospective studies are warranted to confirm these associations and examine long-term liver-related outcomes."

Journal • Retrospective data • Addiction (Opioid and Alcohol) • Genetic Disorders • Obesity

The long-term effectiveness of the anti-obesity medication phentermine (LEAP) trial: Rationale, design, and baseline characteristics. (PubMed, Contemp Clin Trials) - P4 | "The safety and efficacy of long-term phentermine remains a pressing, unanswered question, particularly given its low cost and high availability when compared to newer OMs that are highly effective but often associated with significant costs. This study will impact clinical practice regardless of result - either providing evidence to support use of an available low-cost option or prioritizing the use of other OMs."

Journal • Cardiovascular • Genetic Disorders • Obesity

Bioactive Phytoconstituents Targeting Energy Expenditure and Appetite to Combat Obesity: A Comprehensive Review. (PubMed, Curr Nutr Rep) - "In comparison to traditional anti-obesity medications (e.g., phentermine, sibutramine, GLP-1 agonists), these natural alternatives have similar effectiveness with less side effects, establishing them as viable therapeutic choices for obesity treatment. These natural substances provide a safer and more effective method for weight control by focusing on neuroendocrine signaling, mitochondrial uncoupling, and adipokine modulation. Future research must concentrate on clinical validation, increase of bioavailability, and synergistic combinations to maximize anti-obesity benefits."

Journal • Review • Genetic Disorders • Metabolic Disorders • Obesity

PhITT: Phentermine's Impact on Treatment in Teens (clinicaltrials.gov) - P2 | N=240 | Not yet recruiting | Sponsor: Russell McCulloh, MD

New P2 trial • Genetic Disorders • Obesity

Resolution of chronic idiopathic urticaria with setmelanotide in a patient with Bardet-Biedl Syndrome: A case report. (PubMed, Obes Pillars) - "Adjunct phentermine 18.75 mg daily was later added to optimize appetite control. Setmelanotide produced durable remission of refractory CIU in a patient with BBS, suggesting MC4R agonism may exert immunomodulatory effects beyond weight regulation. This finding underscores the broader potential of precision therapies for rare obesity syndromes to reveal new mechanisms of inflammation control."

Journal • Bardet–Biedl Syndrome • Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria • Dermatology • Developmental Disorders • Genetic Disorders • Immunology • Inflammation • Inherited Retinal Dystrophy • Obesity • Ophthalmology • Renal Disease • Urticaria • BBS9 • MC4R

Gastrointestinal Adverse Effects of Anti-Obesity Medications in Non-Diabetic Adults: A Systematic Review. (PubMed, Medicina (Kaunas)) - "Orlistat commonly linked to steatorrhea and flatulence, while phentermine was associated with reduced GI motility. Newer agents, including retatrutide and orforglipron, also demonstrated notable GI side effect profiles...Tailored titration schedules, proactive patient counseling, and standardized adverse event reporting may improve tolerability. Further research is warranted to evaluate long-term GI outcomes and compare safety across emerging pharmacologic agents."

Adverse events • Journal • Review • Constipation • Gastroenterology • Gastrointestinal Disorder • Genetic Disorders • Metabolic Disorders • Obesity

Obesity Drugs Over the Past 20 Years: A Meta-Analysis of Clinical Trials using ML and AI (OBESITY WEEK 2025) - "GLP-1 receptor agonists such as liraglutide, semaglutide, and tirzepatide have emerged as the most effective treatments to date, achieving 10–22% weight loss in clinical trials. Novel multi-receptor agonists—including retatrutide (GLP-1/GIP/glucagon) and the investigational NA-931 (IGF-1/GLP-1/GIP/glucagon)—demonstrate even greater promise, with weight loss exceeding 24% and favorable safety profiles. In contrast, older agents such as sympathomimetics (phentermine), lipase inhibitors (orlistat), and withdrawn serotonergic drugs (lorcaserin) have shown moderate efficacy (5–15% weight loss) but are limited by tolerability and safety concerns... GLP-1 agonists outperform traditional agents in promoting sustained weight loss and metabolic improvements; however, they are associated with gastrointestinal side effects, high costs, and rare but serious risks (e.g., pancreatitis, thyroid tumors). Sympathomimetics raise cardiovascular concerns, while orlistat often results in poor..."

Retrospective data • Cardiovascular • Diabetes • Genetic Disorders • Metabolic Disorders • Obesity • Pancreatic Cancer • Pancreatitis • Solid Tumor • Thyroid Gland Carcinoma • IGF1

PTOS: Treating Toddler Obesity by Treating the Parent/Caregiver Obesity With Weight Loss Medications (clinicaltrials.gov) - P4 | N=0 | Withdrawn | Sponsor: Loma Linda University | N=50 ➔ 0 | Not yet recruiting ➔ Withdrawn

Enrollment change • Trial withdrawal • Genetic Disorders • Obesity

Prevalence of Obesity Medications in the Military Health System: An Update from 2022 (OBESITY WEEK 2025) - "Any medications whose primary use was for type 2 diabetes (e.g. Ozempic, Victoza, Mounjaro) were excluded...The most commonly used OMs were Phentermine (45.8%), Wegovy (25.3%), Contrave (19.5%), Qsymia (15.1%), and Zepbound (13.6%)... Despite modest increases in OM utilization within the MHS, overall rates remain low, particularly among active-duty and certain racial and ethnic groups. These findings highlight persistent disparities and suggest a continued need to address policy, access, and provider-level barriers to equitable obesity care."

Cardiovascular • Chronic Kidney Disease • Coronary Artery Disease • Genetic Disorders • Metabolic Disorders • Nephrology • Obesity • Obstructive Sleep Apnea • Renal Disease • Respiratory Diseases • Sleep Apnea • Sleep Disorder • Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Hypothalamic Obesity Nonresponse to Monotherapy Successfully Treated with Glp1 Plus Phentermine (OBESITY WEEK 2025) - "Here we present two cases of patients with HO that had previously tried phentermine or liraglutide/tirzepatide without success who experienced significant improvement in obesity after initiation of combination therapy... These two cases highlight patients with HO who did not respond to GLP1 monotherapy but were able to subsequently lose significant amounts of weight and reported significant improvements in HO hyperphagia, with an average weight loss of 24.2% TBW on combination therapy with Tirzepatide plus phentermine or phentermine/topiramate... Treatment options for individuals with HO are limited. This case series highlights the potential for improved clinical outcomes in this disorder with combination of two different AOM mechanisms. Larger studies and analyses may help better delineate safety and efficacy of combination therapy in HO."

Monotherapy • Endocrine Disorders • Fibrosis • Genetic Disorders • Hepatology • Hypothalamic Injury-associated Obesity • Immunology • Obesity

Healthcare Cost & Use Trajectories of Patients Prescribed Phentermine vs. Newer Obesity Medications (OBESITY WEEK 2025) - " Using a nationwide commercial claims dataset spanning 2012-2023, we identified cohorts of incident users of phentermine (n=133,460), phentermine-topiramate-ER (n=13,967), bupropion-naltrexone-SR (n=28,693), and the obesity-labeled version of liraglutide (n=48,953)... Compared to generic phentermine, initiation of second and early third generation OMs was associated with a sizeable increase in annual healthcare costs up to 3 years after starting treatment, with prescription drug prices driving much of the increase. Acute care use was largely similar across groups, suggesting no increased risk of serious adverse events for phentermine users. These findings support the current use of phentermine as a first-line agent to contain population-level cost impacts of newer OMs."

Clinical • HEOR • Cardiovascular • Diabetes • Genetic Disorders • Hypertension • Metabolic Disorders • Obesity • Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Application of the Lancet Commission Criteria for the Diagnosis of Obesity to a Clinical Trials Population: The LEAP Trial. (PubMed, Obesity (Silver Spring)) - P4 | "Among clinical trial participants eligible for obesity pharmacotherapy, 19.5% were classified as having no/pre-clinical obesity using the Lancet criteria. Applying the criteria was complicated in a well-resourced trial setting, which suggests potential challenges in implementing these guidelines in real-world practice."

Journal • Diabetes • Endocrine Disorders • Genetic Disorders • Metabolic Disorders • Obesity

Impact of Tirzepatide on Musculoskeletal Pain and High-Risk Analgesic Use Among Non-Diabetic Patients with Overweight or Obesity: A Propensity Score-Matched, Active Comparator, New User Study (ACR Convergence 2025) - "This large population-based study of non-diabetic patients with overweight or obesity demonstrates improvement in musculoskeletal pain requiring clinical care, reduced risky analgesic use, and better cardiovascular outcomes, among those receiving tirzepatide compared to phentermine. These findings support tirzepatide's role in reducing musculoskeletal pain and the need for NSAID and opioid medications in this population."

Clinical • Cardiovascular • CNS Disorders • Genetic Disorders • Immunology • Metabolic Disorders • Musculoskeletal Diseases • Musculoskeletal Pain • Myocardial Infarction • Obesity • Orthopedics • Osteoarthritis • Pain • Rheumatology

STARVED HEART: A CASE OF ANOREXIA NERVOSA LEADING TO PERICARDIAL TAMPONADE (CHEST 2025) - "During the assessment, the patient endorsed an approximate 100-pound intentional weight loss over the last 12 months due to a highly restrictive diet consisting of beans, eggs, coffee, and water and daily use of Phentermine weight loss supplement... This case highlights the need for vigilance regarding cardiac manifestations in patients with AN. Routine echocardiography should be considered namely in patients who present with syncope. Prompt recognition of hemodynamic instability and timely echocardiographic assessment is crucial to the diagnosis of life-threatening conditions such as cardiac tamponade."

Clinical • Anorexia • Cardiovascular • Hypotension • Immunology • Infectious Disease • Inflammation • Mental Retardation

Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists and Age-Related Macular Degeneration. (PubMed, JAMA Ophthalmol) - "Patients were prescribed either the GLP-1RAs liraglutide or semaglutide or OWLDs including lorcaserin, sibutramine, setmelanotide, fenfluramine, mazindol, orlistat, phentermine, and diethylpropion. In this cohort study, GLP-1RA use was associated with reduced risk of developing nonexudative AMD but was not associated with progression to exudative AMD among individuals with nonexudative AMD. These findings may inform future randomized trials evaluating the ocular effects of GLP-1RAs in nondiabetic populations."

Journal • Age-related Macular Degeneration • Dry Age-related Macular Degeneration • Genetic Disorders • Macular Degeneration • Metabolic Disorders • Obesity • Ophthalmology • Retinal Disorders

Glucagon-like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonist Use and Risk of Cataract Development. (PubMed, Am J Ophthalmol) - "GLP-1RA use was associated with a significantly reduced risk of age-related cataract compared to OWLD use and no pharmacologic treatment. These findings support the need for randomized prospective trials and mechanistic studies to better understand this observed association."

Journal • Cataract • Genetic Disorders • Metabolic Disorders • Obesity • Ophthalmology

INCRETIN-BASED THERAPIES AND POST-BARIATRIC ALCOHOL USE DISORDER: A PROPENSITY-MATCHED COHORT STUDY (AASLD 2025) - "However, their impact on the incident AUD compared to other anti-obesity medications (AOMs) remains unclear...Adults who received either an IBT (semaglutide, liraglutide, tirzepatide) or a non-IBT AOM (e.g., orlistat, phentermine ) following BS between January 1, 2010, and January 1, 2024, were included... In this large, multi-institutional cohort of post-BS patients, IBT use was associated with a significantly reduced risk of developing AUD and initiating pharmacologic treatment for AUD compared to non-IBT AOMs. These associations were consistent across multiple sensitivity analyses, highlighting a potential dual benefit of IBTs in both weight management and AUD risk mitigation in this high-risk population."

Addiction (Opioid and Alcohol) • Genetic Disorders • Obesity • Psychiatry

ANTI-OBESITY MEDICATION USE BEFORE AND AFTER ENDOSCOPIC SLEEVE GASTROPLASTY (UEGW 2025) - "Phentermine and liraglutide were used in 13.9% and 3.0% of patients. Anti-obesity medications, particularly semaglutide, are commonly introduced after ESG to support patients with suboptimal early weight loss. While those requiring pharmacotherapy initially experienced less %TBWL, outcomes equalized by 12 months, suggesting a role for adjunctive treatment in slower responders. Patients who had previously used weight loss medications consistently achieved poorer outcomes, highlighting the challenges of obesity management even with multimodal therapy."

Genetic Disorders • Obesity

Association Between Weight Loss Interventions and Patulous Eustachian Tube (AAO-HNSF 2025) - "Bariatric surgery and phentermine use were linked to higher PET risk, possibly due to rapid or significant weight loss. GLP-1RA, associated with slower weight loss, showed no significant link to PET. Further research is needed to elucidate underlying mechanisms."

Allergic Rhinitis • Diabetes • Dyslipidemia • Gastroenterology • Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease • Genetic Disorders • Immunology • Inflammation • Metabolic Disorders • Obesity • Otorhinolaryngology • Respiratory Diseases • Sinusitis • Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Safety and Efficacy of Phentermine and Topiramate for Weight Loss in Obesity-Related HFpEF. (PubMed, J Card Fail) - No abstract available

Journal • Cardiovascular • Congestive Heart Failure • Genetic Disorders • Heart Failure • Obesity

Perceptions of Weight Management Medications Among Adolescents, Caregivers, and Pediatricians in the Southwest (AAP-NCE 2025) - "Phentermine, an FDA-approved, low-cost medication for adolescents aged 16 and older, may still be affected by its association with the 1990s recall of "Fen-Phen," complicating its acceptance among families and providers. Objective was to explore how adolescents with obesity, their caregivers, and community pediatricians perceive weight loss medications, with a focus on knowledge, concerns, and barriers to use.Thirty semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 adolescent–caregiver dyads and 10 pediatricians in the Southwest... This study underscores the complex interplay between limited awareness, cultural beliefs, and provider uncertainty that shapes how pharmacologic treatments for adolescent obesity are received in the Southwest. Rather than outright rejection, participants expressed conditional openness, willing to consider medications when trust, transparency, and support were present. For pediatricians, discomfort stemmed not only from lack of..."

Clinical • Cardiovascular • Genetic Disorders • Obesity • Pediatrics

A randomized study comparing patient portal and email communications for trial recruitment. (PubMed, Clin Trials) - "While identifying potentially eligible individuals in the EHR is largely accepted as effective, little is known about the effectiveness of outreach via EHR compared to outreach via traditional electronic mail (email) communication given equivalent population identification strategies.MethodsThis study was conducted using recruitment data from one of four study locations participating in the LEAP study, a multi-site, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial studying the long-term use of phentermine on weight loss and blood pressure...Therefore, these findings suggest using the portal strategy may lead to more effort without yield on interim steps by both the research team and the potential participants compared to email. Ultimately, the research team's approach may depend on organizational context and study topic, as some topics do not lend themselves to the less secure nature of email communications."

Journal

PTOS: Treating Toddler Obesity by Treating the Parent/Caregiver Obesity With Weight Loss Medications (clinicaltrials.gov) - P4 | N=50 | Not yet recruiting | Sponsor: Loma Linda University | Initiation date: Jun 2025 ➔ Dec 2025 | Trial primary completion date: Jan 2026 ➔ Jan 2027

Trial initiation date • Trial primary completion date • Genetic Disorders • Obesity

Inferior Wall STEMI in a Young Patient-A Sequela of Phentermine and Smoking. (PubMed, J Community Hosp Intern Med Perspect) - "Amphetamine use is associated with increasing rates of cardiovascular risks, such as pulmonary hypertension, arrhythmias, and atherosclerosis. The case highlights the heightened cardiovascular risks associated with amphetamine use, even in individuals without existing heart conditions. Research and clinical guidelines are crucial for better prediction, diagnosis, and management of such complications."

Journal • Atherosclerosis • Cardiovascular • Hypertension • Hypotension • Pain • Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension • Pulmonary Disease • Respiratory Diseases

Facilitating Living Kidney Donation: A Retrospective Evaluation of Weight Loss Interventions to Support Kidney Donation (WTC 2025) - "Weight loss medications included glucagon like peptide-1 agonist (GLP-1 agonist) in 4 candidates (approved group; n=3 and declined group; n=1), and phentermine (declined group; n=1).* Candidacy for living kidney donation is in part dependent on BMI, along with other co-existing factors... Candidacy for living kidney donation is in part dependent on BMI, along with other co-existing factors. Weight loss interventions included primary dietician consultation, as well as diet and exercise, with infrequent use of GLP-1 agonists likely related to the timeframe of the study. Limitations of this study include the limited sample size of those potential donors with obesity, and changes in evaluation policy in July 2023 (during the IRB-approved study timeframe) permitting evaluation for BMI of 35, up from 32, to facilitate more expeditious dietician input."

Retrospective data • Genetic Disorders • Obesity