The Combination Obesity Drug: Orlistat and Resveratrol

Sometimes, combination obesity drugs can be more effective than either of the drugs in the combination. The weight loss drug Qsymia, which is a combination of Phentermine and Topiramate, is more effective for weight loss than either Phentermine or Topiramate used alone. And the recently approved drug Contrave, which is a combination of Naltrexone and Bupropion, is more effective than either Naltrexone or Bupropion. And the combination of Orlistat and Resveratrol might be more effective for weight loss than Resveratrol or Orlistat.

Orlistat is an obesity drug approved in 1999. The drug is available in two forms -- the prescription form, Xenical, and the over the counter form, Alli. Resveratrol is a supplement sold over-the-counter. While Orlistat is FDA approved, as a supplement, Resveratrol is not.

In a randomized study where 161 subjected were selected, with 84 subjects completing the study, it was found that the group using the Orlistat-Resveratrol combination experienced more weight loss than the subjects using either Orlistat or Resveratrol alone.

Now, the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER), as a division of the United States Food and Drug Administration, reviews drugs for the federal government. CDER "is a consumer watchdog in America's healthcare system. CDER's best-known job is to evaluate new drugs before they can be sold."

In a 2007 draft report, CDER indicated that a combination weight loss drug would have a better chance of approval by the FDA if the weight loss with the combination drug is at least twice that of either one of the individual drugs used alone.

In the Resveratrol-Orlistat study, the combination caused a weight loss of 6.82 kg (5.03553 lbs), while Orlistat caused a weight loss of 6.02 kg (13.27183 lbs) and Resveratrol caused a weight loss of 4.68 kg (10.31763 lbs) as monotherapy. So the combination did not achieve CDER's best case scenario.

But while the Resveratrol-Orlistat combination did not provide double the weight loss of either one of the drugs in the combination, medical weight loss physicians might want to monitor research into this combination. Indeed more research is in order. But if future research shows that the combination is safe and effective, it could become a new tool in the fight against obesity. 

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