Naltrexone/Bupropion ER (Contrave): Newly Approved Treatment Option for Chronic Weight Management in Obese Adults

Obesity is becoming an increasingly serious and costly health problem in the United States, with more than one-third of adults (34.9%) and 17% of children suffering from this condition. 1 Obesity is defined as having a body mass index (BMI) greater than 30, while being overweight is defined as having a BMI between 25 and 29.9. 2 Besides being a psychological burden on the patient, obesity is associated with increased risk of stroke, cardiovascular disease, type-2 diabetes, and the development of certain types of cancers, including esophageal, pancreatic, colon, and breast cancers. 3 , 4 Obesity represents a huge burden to the U.S. health care system—$147 billion was spent on obesity in 2008 alone. Health care costs for obese patients were on average $1,429 higher than for patients of normal weight. 5 The physiological, psychological, and financial effects associated with obesity have pushed health care professionals to come up with appropriate solutions to manage obesity and achieve better health outcomes.