When patents expire on brand-name drugs and generic formulations become available, patients and managed care organizations may express a preference for the lower-cost generics. Are they equivalent to the brand-name product?

View the Comparison Table: Some FDA-Approved Drugs for Weight Management

The FDA has approved a fixed-dose combination of the opioid receptor antagonist naltrexone (ReVia, and others) and the antidepressant and smoking cessation agent bupropion (Wellbutrin SR, Zyban, and others), as Contrave (Orexigen/Takeda) for weight loss. The combination was approved for use as an adjunct to diet and increased physical activity in patients with a body mass index (BMI) ≥30 kg/m2 or a BMI ≥27 kg/m2 and one or more weight-related comorbidities such as hypertension, diabetes, or dyslipidemia. Naltrexone/bupropion is not a controlled...

Adults with a body mass index (BMI) between 25 and 29.9 kg/m2 are considered overweight. Those with a BMI ≥30 are considered obese. The initial recommendation for any weight loss effort is to achieve a 5-10% reduction in weight, which has been associated with a reduction in the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia. Diet, exercise, and behavior modification are the preferred methods for losing weight, but long-term weight maintenance can be difficult. Several drugs and devices are FDA-approved for weight reduction and maintenance of weight...

In 2013 the FDA approved one new drug and a new combination of 2 old drugs as adjuncts to lifestyle changes for chronic weight management. Lorcaserin (lor-ca-SER-in; Belviq – Arena/Esai) is a selective serotonin 2C receptor agonist. Qsymia (Vivus) is a fixed-dose combination of the weight-loss drug phentermine and an extended-release (ER) formulation of topiramate. The new products are approved for use in obese patients (body mass index [BMI] of ≥30 kg/m2) and for patients who are overweight (BMI ≥27 kg/m2) and have one weight-related risk factor such as hypertension, dyslipidemia or...

Many commonly used drugs can interfere with sexual function in both men and women, causing loss of libido, interfering with erection or ejaculation in men, and delaying or preventing orgasm in women. Drug-related effects on sexual function may be difficult to distinguish from the effects of depression or disease, but most are reversible when drug use is stopped and sometimes when dosage is decreased. Since many patients are reluctant to talk about sexual difficulties, physicians may wish to ask about the possibility of drug-induced sexual dysfunction, particularly when they have...