Have you been diagnosed with pancreatic, colorectal or lung cancer after taking the weight-loss medication Belviq or Belviq XR?
You May Be Entitled To Compensation.
FDA Recall on BELVIQ
Belviq® (lorcaserin hydrochloride) is a weight loss drug manufactured by Japanese drug maker Eisai originally approved for use by the FDA in 2012. Upon initial approval the FDA required Eisai to conduct a multiyear clinical trial to evaluate the risk of cardiovascular problems associated with Belviq® use. Risks of cancer also became a concern when a prevalence of tumors was observed in laboratory animals exposed to Belviq®.
Clinical Trial Results
Data collected from a five–year, 12,000 patient study of Belviq's® potential negative cardiovascular side effects where half of the patients were given Belviq® and the other half given a placebo was reviewed by the FDA in January 2020. Outside of any cardiovascular side effects, the data showed a slightly greater occurrence of cancer diagnoses in the Belviq® patient sample set than in the placebo set (7.7% in patients who took Belviq® vs. 7.1% of patients who took the placebo). While a range of cancers were found in the sample, four cancers were found to occur disproportionately more than others in the Belivq® patients:
- Pancreatic Cancer
- Colon Cancer
- Rectal Cancer
- Lung Cancer
Based upon the findings, the FDA requested Eisai to voluntarily withdraw Belviq® and Belviq® XR (lorcaserin) from the market which they did in February 2020. At its peak, there were 600,000 prescriptions filled per year in the U.S. with no warning of potential increased risk of cancer. If you or someone you know may have a claim against Eisai, fill out the contact form below