Weight loss

Use of agents not approved for obesity treatment as weight-loss aids in non-diabetic, non-obese adults without associated risk factors.

31 drugs

Also known as: Weight loss in healthy adults

Drugs used for this condition

BGlucomannan (Amorphophallus konjac)Add-on therapy · Water-soluble dietary fibre from konjac root (Amorphophallus konjac); the only weight-loss supplement with an EFSA-approved health claim under Regulation 432/2012Glucomannan is the only weight-loss supplement with an EFSA-approved health claim under Regulation (EU) 432/2012. The approval terms are explicit: 3 g/day (1 g three times daily) with a large glass of water 15–30 minutes before meals, within a calorie-restricted diet. The Onakpoya 2014 meta-analysis reported average weight loss of 0.79 kg over 5 weeks vs placebo – modest but statistically significant. Glucomannan is not a «fat burner» but a tool for portion control and satiety. Without a caloric deficit and physical activity it does not work. Patients with constipation tendency or those whose other medications can be slowed should discuss use with a gastroenterologist or general practitioner.
D5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP)Case-by-case decision · Direct serotonin precursor, supplement (not registered as medicine in EU or US)5-HTP is heavily marketed for weight loss and appetite suppression. That reputation rests on a handful of small double-blind trials from a single Italian research group: in patients with obesity, doses of 750–900 mg/day lowered carbohydrate intake, brought on earlier satiety, and produced roughly 1.5–3 kg of weight loss over 4–6 weeks (Ceci 1989; Cangiano 1992, 1998). The samples are tiny (19–25 people), the studies are decades old, no independent large-cohort replication exists, and no regulator has cleared 5-HTP for weight control. Safety looks reasonable: the Das 2004 review found no confirmed toxicity, and the eosinophilia-myalgia signal traces to contaminated L-tryptophan rather than 5-HTP itself, though Peak X contaminants have been detected in commercial batches (Klarskov 1999). A weak positive signal on weak data, with no documented net harm for this use, places it at tier D rather than F.

Marketing claims without evidence base

The drug is promoted for these uses outside international guidelines. Each entry below is analyzed against AEMPS, FDA, EMA, Cochrane and major RCTs.

How to read tiers A–F

Evidence tiers belong to the drug-indication pair, not to the drug as a whole: the same substance can be A for one condition and F for another.

AStrong evidence – first or second line in international guidelines
BRecommended in selected cases
CStudy data contradict each other
DBenefit not proven, no documented harm
FDocumented harm, or risk without benefit