Belviq was a prescription drug approved for use with obese patients in 2012. Due to previous issues with other weight loss medications, the approval came with a requirement that the manufacturer conduct a long-term study into the effects of the medication on cardiac health. The study showed the potential increase in cancer risk from taking this medication.
Belviq is the brand name for lorcaserin, a medication developed for weight loss by Arena Pharmaceuticals. It works as a weight loss medication by reducing the appetite. The drug activates a serotonin receptor in the brain called the 5-HT2C receptor.
This medication comes in two forms: Belviq and Belviq XR, which is an extended-release version. With Belviq, the patient takes the drug twice a day. Belviq XR is given once per day, and it continues working for the rest of the day to control appetite.
Doctors prescribed the medication to patients who were diagnosed as obese. Obesity is defined as being excessively overweight. It isn’t just a description of your size but a medical term based on your body mass index or BMI. BMI compares how much you weigh with how tall you are. If you have a BMI between 25 and 29.9, you are considered to be overweight. If your BMI reaches 30 or higher, you are obese.
Many patients who received Belviq also had other medical conditions that resulted from being obese, such as diabetes. They weren’t able to control their weight through exercise and diet. The doctor would prescribe the drug to work with a diet and exercise plan. As the person lost weight, their other medical conditions would improve as well.
As with most medications, Belviq comes with a list of side effects. They may have an allergic reaction to the medication, which requires emergency medical attention. Indications that the person is having a reaction include swelling of the face, lips, throat, or tongue and difficulty breathing. They may also develop hives.
Serious side effects of this drug include:
The person may also have the sensation that they are seeing their body from the outside as an observer.
Side effects that are common and usually go away include nausea, headaches, dizziness, coughing, dry mouth, back pain and constipation. Diabetics must also watch for low blood sugar when taking this medication.
Along with side effects that are listed with Belviq, there has been concern that it may increase a person’s risk for cancer. This concern comes from a study that had been conducted on the medication.
The study was originally done to determine if there was a risk of cardiac issues from taking the drug. Other weight loss drugs had a negative effect on cardiac health, which is why the FDA required the study upon approval. The manufacturer conducted a five-year study, which showed no increased risk for cardiac issues at the end of the period. However, the FDA requested people to stop taking Belviq because the study did indicate that the test subjects had a higher rate of cancer. This supported the research that showed an increased number of tumors in the lab rats.
A total of 12,000 participants were included in the study. The study used a double-blind clinical trial. This type of trial provided for some patients to receive the weight loss drug and others to get a placebo. Neither the patients nor the doctors would know who was in which group. The goal is for the results to be as accurate as possible with no bias.
At the end of the study, it showed that participants who had taken the drug had more diagnoses of lung, colorectal and pancreatic cancer than those who took the placebo. This information was different from the initial study which led to the approval of the drug, which indicates that long-term use made the difference.
Based on previous research, there is an indication that people who took Belviq for weight loss have a higher risk of developing cancer. The manufacturer failed to include a warning on the medication about the possibility of developing cancer from long-term use of the drug.
Many people who have taken this drug are being evaluated to determine if they have a case against the manufacturer. Allegations would include failure to warn because there was no mention of the risk for developing cancer when patients were given the prescription. Misleading information was provided which made the drug seem safer than what the study indicated.
Drug manufacturers have a legal obligation and moral responsibility to warn the public of any potential dangers in taking a medication. If they fail to do so, they could be held liable for the results. Some of the claims that may be made against the pharmaceutical company include the following:
What it comes down to is that the manufacturer placed a higher priority on making a profit from the sale of the drug than on protecting the patients. The information about a possible link between cancer and Belviq should have resulted in a warning to users even though the study was on cardiac health.
Anyone who took Belviq for weight loss and has since been diagnosed with cancer should seek out legal advice. They can have a free case evaluation to determine the next steps. They may be able to file a lawsuit for damages regarding their cancer to receive maximum compensation.
