What it means
Clinicians and insurers use "anti-obesity medication" or AOM for drugs whose label includes weight management. In the US these include Wegovy (shot and pill), Zepbound, Foundayo, Saxenda and generic liraglutide, Qsymia, Contrave, orlistat and short-term phentermine. Imcivree is approved only for specific rare causes of obesity.
Most labels for chronic use apply to adults with a BMI of 30 or higher, or 27 or higher with at least one weight-related condition. Some are also approved for teenagers.
A diabetes drug that happens to lower weight, such as Ozempic or Mounjaro, is not an AOM on paper, even when it contains the same ingredient. That label difference drives insurance coverage.
Average results vary widely by medicine, from a few percent of body weight to around 20% in trials. Each label describes how long to try a medicine before judging whether it is working.
Why it matters
Whether a drug is labeled as an anti-obesity medication often decides whether your plan covers it.
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Sources
Clinician review pending. Drafted from primary sources and waiting for sign-off by a licensed clinician (MD, DO or PharmD) before launch. Every number is checked against its source. Drug facts are re-checked quarterly, prices monthly and whenever a label changes. How we review · Report an error