Orlistat (Xenical™)
Mechanism of Action
Inhibits pancreatic lipases Þ prevents absorption of 1/3 of dietary fat.
Also inhibits lipases that are involved in movement of lipids into cells.
Dose
120mg TID before meals
Evidence
Cochrane review, 11 RCTs x 1 year
Wt loss vs. placebo 2.7kg (2.3 - 3.2)
ß 3% of baseline wt ³
10% wt loss = 12% (8 - 16) of study participants
Adverse Effects
Primarily GI related
Reference
Padwal, et al. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2004;(3):CD004094