Prescription Belviq

Weight-loss drug Belviq (lorcaserin) has been linked to an increase of certain cancers.

What is Belviq

Belviq was approved for weight management in June 2012. The drug functioned by alternating chemical signals responsible for appetite – helping patients increase feelings of being full.

The drug was manufactured and brought to market by Eisai, Inc.

, a Toyko-based drugmaker.

Cancer Risks

Researchers studied Belviq’s safety for five years and found increased rates of cancer in people who took the medication. Specifically, studies revealed that Belviq was associated with an increased risk of three cancers:

  • Pancreatic cancer
  • Colorectal cancer
  • Lung cancer

Research also showed that patients had higher rates of cancer the longer they were on Belviq. Prior to the drug’s approval in 2012, the drug maker’s own testing linked Belviq to an increased rate of cancerous tumors in rats.

FDA Requests Withdrawal Over Cancer Risk

Food and Drug Administration announced that Belviq a popular weight-loss drug, would be pulled from the United States market as of February 2020. The announcement came following the research findings that tied Belviq to increased cancer rates. The FDA determined that the risks of Belviq outweighed its benefits and requested Eisai remove the drug from the market. FDA further recommended that people who took Belviq for weight loss immediately stop taking the medicine.

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