What is Orlistat?

Orlistat (Orlistat) is a drug used to treat obesity, sold under trade names such as Xenical. Its main function is to prevent the absorption of fat from the human diet by acting as a lipase inhibitor, thereby reducing caloric intake. Orlistat is intended to be used in conjunction with a low-calorie diet supervised by a doctor.

Orlistat is a saturated derivative of lipstatin, a potent natural pancreatic lipase inhibitor isolated from the bacterial toxin Streptomyces sp. Orlistat was chosen for the development of lipstatin as a weight loss drug due to its relative simplicity and stability. The effect of orlistat in promoting weight loss is established but modest. Pooled data from clinical trials show that over the course of a year, people who took orlistat lost about 2-3kg (4-7lbs) more than those who didn't take the drug, in addition to lifestyle changes such as diet and exercise. Orlistat also modestly lowers blood pressure and appears to prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes, whether due to weight loss itself or other effects, and it reduces the incidence of type 2 diabetes in obese people to an extent comparable to lifestyle changes.

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.