The efficacy of Orlistat

The effects of orlistat (Orlistat) were first tested in experimental models before being studied in humans. Orlistat has been studied in seven major studies involving more than 3,000 overweight or obese patients. The studies lasted one to two years and compared three different doses of Xenical in combination with a placebo (a dummy treatment) and diet. Another longer study of more than 3,000 obese patients compared the effects of orlistat and a placebo combined with diet and exercise over four years.

In all studies, the primary measure of effectiveness was change in body weight. Orlistat was more effective than placebo in reducing weight. When the results from all seven short-term studies were combined, patients who took 120 mg of orlistat three times a day lost an average of 6.1 kilograms of weight after one year, while those who took a placebo lost an average of 2.6 kilograms. The proportion of patients taking this dose of orlistat who lost 10% or more of their body weight was 20%, compared with 8% of patients taking placebo. At the end of the four-year study, 21% of patients who received orlistat had lost more than 10% of their body weight, compared with 10% of those who received a placebo.

The original drug of Orlistat has been marketed in China, but it has not yet entered the scope of medical insurance. There are also domestically produced drugs developed by other pharmaceutical companies on the market. The price of each box may be around tens of RMB, which is cheap. The price of the Indian version of Orlistat listed overseas is 120mg*84 capsules per box, which may be around a few hundred yuan (the price may fluctuate due to exchange rates). The ingredients of the two drugs are basically the same, but the manufacturers are different, and patients can choose by themselves.