Belviq, a weight loss and management drug manufactured by Eisai Inc. and Arena Pharmaceuticals, has recently come under fire for potentially causing serious health complications in users.
- What to Know About the Belviq Study
- Belviq Adverse Effects
- FDA Belviq Recommendations
- Reporting Belviq Side Effects
- Belviq Cancer Risk
- Drug Labeling and Belviq Cancer
- Wrongful Death Belviq Damages
- How to Start Your Belviq Lawsuit
- Belviq Lawsuit FAQs
- Hire a Personal Injury Attorney to Resolve Your Belviq Lawsuit
The FDA approved the drug in 2012. However, it was not until 2019 that the agency announced its recommendation to pull the drug from the market due to increased cancer risk in Belviq patients.
Were you diagnosed with cancer after taking Belviq? The personal injury attorneys at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyer, LLC, are legal advocates for those victims hurt by defective drugs.
Call our drug injury lawyers at (888) 424-5757 or use the contact form to schedule a free consultation. All confidential or sensitive information you share with your Belviq lawyer remains private through an attorney-client relationship.
What to Know About the Belviq Study
Belviq is an obesity drug that decreases appetite and causes people who use it to eat less food. In January 2018, the Food and Drug Administration warned consumers about the potential risks of taking weight management medication.
Patients are advised to stop taking Belviq immediately if they experience chest pain, shortness of breath, irregular heartbeat, dizziness, fainting, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, or leg swelling.
They should contact their doctor immediately if they develop signs of heart attack or stroke.
What’s The Difference Between Weight Loss Drug Belviq and Belviq XR?
Belviq (lorcaserin) is one of the newest diet pills hitting the market. It’s been around since 2013, and many people are already using it. But what makes Belviq different from other diet pills? And what does Belviq XR do differently?
The answer lies in how each drug works. Belviq is a 5HT2c receptor agonist, activating certain brain receptors and causing users to feel full. Belviq XR is a combination of Belviq and another drug called bupropion.
Bupropion blocks some of the same receptors as Belviq, making you less likely to experience side effects like nausea.
Both Belviq and Belviq XR drugs work by increasing serotonin levels. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that helps regulate mood and appetite. Most antidepressants increase serotonin levels in the brain, which is why they’re effective at treating depression.
Belviq Adverse Effects
The FDA recently warned consumers against taking Belviq, a weight loss drug manufactured by Arena Pharmaceuticals Inc., because it could lead to severe side effects, including heart attacks, strokes, and even death.
According to the FDA, Belviq contains phentermine hydrochloride, a prescription appetite suppressant that belongs to a class of drugs called amphetamine derivatives. In addition to losing weight, people who use Belviq are supposed to experience fewer cravings for food.
However, some people who take the drug report experiencing severe side effects such as insomnia, anxiety, depression, nervousness, high blood pressure, and palpitations.
Dangerous Medication
The FDA now says the drug is one of the most dangerous weight loss medications due to the high cancer diagnoses among the Belviq group. In 2017 alone, there were over 300 reports of deaths linked to the drug. Some of those cases involved people suffering cardiac arrest while others died due to sudden unexpected death syndrome (SUDS).
The FDA warns that Belviq should never be combined with other diet pills or stimulants. If you start feeling any ill side effects, make sure to call your doctor immediately. You may want to consider switching to another weight loss product.
Belviq Cancers
Belviq is a drug used to treat obesity. In 2017 it received approval from the FDA to treat adults for weight loss. However, some side effects may occur while taking Belviq, including those individuals diagnosed with cancer.
In 2018, the FDA updated information about Belviq and included a list of possible side effects. This list includes nine types of cancer.
The most common type of cancer diagnosis affects the thyroid. Other increased cancer risk concerns include:
- Breast cancer
- Colorectal cancer
- Liver cancer
- Pancreatic cancer
- Prostate cancer
- Ovarian cancer
- Bladder cancer
- Lung cancer
FDA Belviq Recommendations
The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) recently recommended that people taking Belviq stop immediately. This recommendation followed a recent study showing that the drug does not work as well as advertised. The agency says the drug doesn’t even help most people with depression. Belviq users are being advised to speak to their doctors about other options.
Belviq is a prescription medicine used to treat MDD (major depressive disorder). The drug works by increasing levels of serotonin in the brain. Serotonin helps regulate mood and feelings of happiness.
When there isn’t enough serotonin in the body, symptoms like fatigue, sleep problems, appetite changes, lack of interest in activities you enjoy, and thoughts of suicide can occur.
FDA Recommendations for Belviq Users
The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has recommended that Belviq patients stop taking the drug because the drug carries serious risks, including death and heart attack.
People should talk to a healthcare provider about other treatment options.
Reporting Belviq Side Effects
Belviq is a prescription drug used to treat obesity. If you take it, report any side effects you experience to the FDA. You can do this online via the MedWatch form.
The FDA lists some common side effects associated with the use of Belviq. These side effects include
- Headache
- Nausea
- Diarrhea
- Constipation
- Abdominal pain
- Vomiting
- Dizziness
- Drowsiness
- Dry mouth
- Insomnia
- Nervousness
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Confusion
- Memory loss
- Difficulty sleeping
Belviq Cancer Risk
Arena Pharmaceuticals filed for approval of Belviq in 2009, hoping it could become the first drug approved for treating the pain associated with cancer. But the FDA turned down the drug manufacturer’s request, saying there wasn’t enough evidence to support the claim that the drug in the Belviq group worked better than existing treatments.
The agency cited concerns about potential side effects like depression and suicidal thoughts in its positive benefit-risk profile among Belviq users.
Another pharmaceutical company, Eisai, tried again in 2012, submitting data showing that patients taking Belviq experienced fewer symptoms of neuropathic pain than those receiving placebo.
The FDA rejected the application because the study didn’t show that Belviq (lorcaserin) had “statistically significant superiority over placebo.”
Drug Labeling and Belviq Cancer
The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) approved Belviq in 2012. A few months later, it added a warning about a potential link between the weight management drug and cancer. But the label didn’t mention the drug could cause heart problems.
The drug’s label mentioned a possible link between the medication and breast cancer.
In 2017, the FDA updated the labeling for the weight management drug. This included adding information about the drug’s association with pancreatic cancer. However, the agency left out the possibility that the drug might increase the risk of heart disease.
A recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Internal Medicine found that patients taking Belviq in clinical trials showed a slightly elevated risk of developing cancer and heart failure compared to patients treated with placebo pills.
The authors noted “no data regarding the safety of long‐term use of Belviq.”
Weight-loss drug Belviq pulled off the US market because of cancer concerns:
The FDA says that it has removed the popular diet pill Belviq from the market after researchers discovered that it might cause cancer. In a statement, the agency said that it had received reports of 12 cases of liver tumors linked to the drug.
Belviq, manufactured by Arena Pharmaceuticals, was approved by the FDA in 2012 but withdrew its European Medicines Agency application the next year. It blocks fat cells’ ability to absorb glucose, causing people to feel full faster. The pills are taken twice daily.
In 2016, the FDA warned consumers about possible risks associated with using Belviq. At the time, the agency said nausea was the most common side effect. Other symptoms included diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain, headache, dizziness, insomnia, and constipation.
According to the American Cancer Society, the odds of developing liver cancer are low. However, the organization says there are no known safe levels for alcohol consumption. People who drink heavily are more likely to develop liver disease with the drug.
Weight loss drug Belviq tied to ‘possible increased risk of cancer,’ FDA says
The Food and Drug Administration approved Belviq (bupropion hydrochloride/naltrexone hydrochloride extended-release tablets) after requiring Eisai Co. Ltd. to study whether it increases the risk of certain cancers.
Belviq is an appetite suppressant medication marketed under the brands Zyban and Contrave. In August 2018, the FDA warned consumers about potential side effects related to drug use.
In November 2017, the agency asked Eisai to conduct the study, according to a statement published by the FDA, due to Belviq cancer diagnosis problems, including colorectal cancer, pancreatic cancer, lung cancer, colon cancer, and other adverse events.
Wrongful Death Belviq Damages
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the medication called Belviq for use in treating obesity. However, it came with serious risks, including potentially fatal heart attacks and strokes.
It prompted many people to sue the drug’s manufacturer, Novo Nordisk, claiming that the drug maker failed to warn consumers about the potential dangers of cancer after taking Belviq.
Contact our Belviq lawsuit law firm today if you believe you or a loved one suffered harm from a defective prescription drug. We offer free consultations and do not charge fees unless we recover damages for you.
How to Start Your Belviq Lawsuit
The FDA approved Belviq for weight loss in December 2016. But since then, many people have filed Belviq lawsuits against Novo Nordisk after a cancer diagnosis, alleging that it did not adequately warn consumers about the risks associated with taking the drug.
Over 500 Belviq lawsuits are pending against Novo Nordisk. If you think you should be one of those plaintiffs, you should contact our law firm immediately.
Belviq Lawsuit FAQs
Many families have unanswered questions about Belviq lawsuits and dealing directly with insurance companies for compensation. A Belviq lawyer from our law office has answered some common questions below.
Hire a Personal Injury Attorney to Resolve Your Belviq Lawsuit
Have you developed cancer after taking Belviq? Our legal team specializes in Belviq lawsuits and can work to ensure your receive maximum compensation for your damages.
We accept all Belviq cases on contingency, meaning you won’t pay any upfront fees. Call our Belviq lawsuit attorneys at (888) 424-5757 or use the contact form to schedule a free consultation.
