492APPETITE SUPPRESSANTS FOR THE TREATMENT OF OBESITY: ADVANCES AND CHALLENGESObesity is a global health problem and has reached pandemic proportions. It arises as a consequence of energy imbalance, and a lot of research efforts have been carried out to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying the regulation of energy balance. A number of endogenous mediators including pancreatic, gut and adipose derived hormones and neuropeptides involved in appetite regulation and thereby energy balance, have provided the potential sites for the designing of anti-obesity medications. The present review focuses around the mediators involved in appetite regulation, the advances and challenges encountered in the development of appetite suppressantshaq@kashmiruniversity.ac.inResearch572014Appetite suppressants,Obesity,Monoamines, Body Mass Index,Arcuate nucleusTaseen Gul,Henah Mehraj Balkhi,Ehtishamul HaqDepartment of Biotechnology, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, J&K-190006 India,Department of Biotechnology, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, J&K-190006 India,Department of Biotechnology, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, J&K-190006 India