Pancreatic/gastric lipase

Class

Lipase inhibitor

Pancreatic and gastric lipases are digestive enzymes secreted into the gut that break down dietary triglycerides—the main form of fat in food—into free fatty acids and monoglycerides small enough to be absorbed across the intestinal wall. Inhibiting these enzymes prevents this breakdown, so a portion of ingested fat passes through the digestive tract unabsorbed and is eliminated rather than taken up into the body. This reduces the net caloric intake from dietary fat, providing a rationale for using lipase inhibition as a weight-management strategy that acts locally within the gut lumen rather than through systemic hormonal or neurological pathways. Because the mechanism does not require the drug to enter the bloodstream, it is mechanistically distinct from centrally acting appetite suppressants or metabolic hormone therapies. This approach is relevant primarily in the context of obesity and weight management, where reducing fat absorption complements dietary modification. The trade-off is that unabsorbed fat continues into the lower intestine, which can produce predictable gastrointestinal effects related to fat malabsorption. Lipase inhibition also has minor relevance to fat-soluble vitamin absorption, since these vitamins are normally carried into the body alongside dietary fat.