Patients who took weight loss pill Belviq or the long-acting Belviq XR to help them obtain a healthy body weight may be at an increased risk of cancer, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Generically known as lorcaserin, Belviq was hailed as the first weight loss drug to be FDA-approved in more than a dozen years when it was released in 2012. The drug was designed to treat people who have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or greater or those who have a BMI of 27 greater plus a minimum of one weight-related comorbid condition, such as diabetes or high blood pressure.

The extended release Belviq XR was introduced in October 2016.

How Does the Weight Loss Pill Belviq Work?

Belviq controls the patient’s appetite by working on the brain’s serotonin receptors that affect hunger signals. Many antidepressant medications regulate mood by affecting serotonin levels, but Belviq works only on the receptors that control feelings of fullness and satisfaction.

Arena Pharmaceuticals provided FDA with data that showed that around 50 percent of patients on Belviq lost about five percent of their beginning weight over the course of one year. During that same time, only about 23 percent of patients taking an inactive pill (placebo) lost a comparable amount of weight.

Is Belviq Linked to Cancer?

In a clinical trial of 12,000 patients over the course of five years, patients taking weight loss pill Belviq had an increased risk of cancer when compared to a control group of patients who took an inactive pill. Several types of cancers occurred more often in the Belviq group, including colorectal, pancreatic and lung cancer.

A New York woman has filed a Belviq class action lawsuit alleging she and other patients who took the medication were unaware they could experience an increased risk of cancer.

Lead plaintiff Barbara Z. alleges Arena knew of Belviq’s propensity to cause cancer as far back as 2007. At that time, Arena purportedly found lorcaserin caused rare and aggressive tumors in rats. These tumors included deadly, cancerous mammary and brain tumors, plus tumors in the liver and thyroid.

According to the lorcaserin class action lawsuit, the FDA asked for regular updates on Arena’s study.

“By week 96 of the study, the incidence and proportion of female rats with cancerous tumors increased at every dose,” according to the court filing, which also notes that the data began to show a decline in cancerous tumors by week 104, which was not explained to the FDA by Arena.

Barbara alleges that if Eisai and Arena had been forthcoming with the FDA regarding the 2007 studies with rats that the FDA would have realized Belviq’s cancer risks back then and that the drug would not have ever made it to the U.S. marketplace.

Is the Weight Loss Pill FDA Approved?

The FDA did approve Belviq on June 27, 2012. In January 2020, the FDA announced that a clinical trial showed a possible increased risk of cancer among patients taking Belviq or Belviq XR.

On Feb. 13, 2020, the FDA requested that Eisai voluntarily withdraw Belviq from the U.S. market due to the potential increased risk of cancer. At that time, the FDA instructed patients to stop taking the drug and health care providers to stop prescribing and dispensing lorcaserin.

What Were the Findings of the FDA Safety Trial?

When the FDA approved Belviq in 2012, the drug’s manufacturer was ordered to conduct post-market studies to see whether or not lorcaserin was linked to an increased risk of heart problems. Belviq was developed by Arena Pharmaceuticals, but manufactured by Eisai Inc.

Eisai began running a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial to see if patients on lorcaserin had a higher risk of cardiovascular issues, but the trial began to reveal that patients on Belviq had a greater risk of certain cancers.

The trial included 12,000 patients over the course of five years. Patients taking lorcaserin had a cancer diagnosis rate of 7.7 percent compared with the patients taking a placebo (inactive pill), who had a cancer diagnosis rate of 7.1 percent.

Why Do People Take Belviq?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 42% of Americans were considered obese between 2017 and 2018, compared to 30.5% who were obese in 1999 and 2000. Severe obesity increased from 4.7% to 9.2% during that same time period. Obesity is related to increased risks of heart disease, stroke, Type 2 diabetes and cancer.

While many people may have been hoping the weight loss pill Belviq would help them lose weight, the increased risk of cancer was too detrimental.

Should You Stop Taking Weight Loss Pill Belviq?

According to the FDA, “Patients should stop taking lorcaserin and talk to your health care professionals about alternative weight-loss medicines and weight management programs.”

If you have taken Belviq or Belviq XR, you may qualify to pursue a class action lawsuit to hold the drug’s creator and manufacturer responsible for a potential increased risk of cancer. Filing a lawsuit cannot take away the pain and suffering caused by a cancer diagnosis, but it can at least help to alleviate the financial burden incurred by medical expenses, lost wages, and more.

Filing a lawsuit can be a daunting prospect, so Top Class Actions has laid the groundwork for you by connecting you with an experienced attorney. Consulting an attorney can help you determine if you have a claim, navigate the complexities of litigation, and maximize your potential compensation.

The Weight Loss Pill Belviq Lawsuit is Case No. 7:20-cv-02600, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

Join A Belviq Cancer Side Effects Lawsuit Investigation

If you took Belviq or Belviq XR and developed cancer, you may be able to join a FREE Belviq cancer class action lawsuit investigation. Fill out the form on this page for more information.

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