Belviq Cancer Lawsuit Attorney

If you or a loved one took the weight-loss medication Belviq and developed an increased risk of certain types of cancer, you may be eligible to file a Belviq cancer lawsuit. Drug manufacturer Eisai, Inc., conducted a clinical trial over the course of five years to determine whether its weight loss medication increased the risk of cardiovascular disease. What the FDA discovered instead was an increase in various types of diagnosed cancers, such as lung, colorectal, and pancreatic cancer, in people who took Belviq. If you developed one of these cancers after taking this medication, please contact the Belviq lawsuit attorneys at Gerling Law Injury Attorneys today.

What Is Belviq?

Belviq, or its generic version, lorcaserin, helps obese patients and those suffering from weight-related health issues to reduce their hunger. Eisai, Inc., is a Tokyo-based drug company who makes Belviq. It entered U.S. markets with Belviq in 2012 after receiving its FDA approval. Now, the FDA issued a voluntary recall of the popular weight loss prescription from the market in 2020 after learning of the increased risk of cancer.

Belviq works by altering the brain’s chemical signals that are responsible for appetite. It is intended to help create a feeling of fullness, which could assist someone with weight loss and reduce their risk for other health issues. When combined with a good diet and plenty of exercise, patients could potentially lose even more weight. Some medical providers also prescribed Belviq to treat obesity linked to high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and diabetes. While it might help someone lose weight, Belviq didn’t treat the underlying health issues.

Belviq was available in two forms before being pulled from the market —Belviq and Belviq XR. Belviq was a 10 mg tablet that you took twice a day, while Belviq XR was an extended-release drug that you took only once a day. These drugs were approved for use in adult patients with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more or any adult with a BMI of 27 who also had other conditions, such as high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes, or high cholesterol.

Prior to the voluntary Belviq recall, Belviq held the top position for similar kinds of drugs. The leading medication now is Novo Nordisk’s Saxenda.

Why Is Belviq Dangerous?

Since Belviq entered the U.S. markets in 2012, researchers studied how safe the medication was. The FDA requested that Eisai, Inc. conduct a study to understand whether patients were developing any increased risk of heart-related health issues while taking Belviq.

Eisai, Inc., conducted a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial that analyzed 12,000 participants. Some participants received Belviq, while others were on a placebo. Rather than finding any links to cardiovascular conditions, the FDA noted a higher incidence of cancer diagnoses in participants who received Belviq when compared to those on the placebo drug.

The clinical trial showed about 7.7% of patients on Belviq received a cancer diagnosis versus 7.1% who had the placebo. A total of 462 participants on Belviq were diagnosed with 520 cancers, while 423 members of the placebo group had 470 cancers diagnosed. The clinical trial also showed that the longer someone was on Belviq, the risk of developing cancer increased.

This link to developing cancer is not something that came out of the blue either. Eisai, Inc., performed early studies on rats, which showed a possible link to cancer. Before receiving FDA approval in 2012, results showed there was an increased risk of cancer-related tumors in the rats tested.

The FDA was aware of the results but ultimately decided the risk wasn’t significant enough to pull Belviq from the market. However, the FDA reversed its opinion in 2020 after receiving the results of the clinical trials. It’s important to note that the initial FDA review in 2010 resulted in a 9-to-5 vote for denial. Some FDA reviewers didn’t feel Belviq was efficient enough to warrant the risks. When it came up for review again in 2012, the FDA required Eisai, Inc., to conduct the clinical safety trial if it approved the drug for U.S. markets.

What Types of Cancers Are Linked to Belviq?

The FDA noted there were several different types of cancers prevalent in the clinical trials, including:

• Colon cancer,
• Pancreatic cancer,
• Lung cancer,
• Breast cancer, and
• Brain cancer.

The three primary types of cancer noted in the study were colon, pancreatic, and lung. If you developed one of these three types of cancer after taking Belviq, you might be entitled to compensation.

The FDA noted the possible increased risk of developing cancer but has also said it cannot definitively conclude Belviq contributed to the cancer risks and that the cause is still unknown. Despite that, the possible risks outweigh the benefits of taking Belviq, and therefore, the FDA recommends anyone still taking the drug cease use immediately.

Eisai, Inc., has gone on record to say its data interpretation differs from the FDA but that it would comply with the Belviq recall to remove the medication from the U.S. markets.

What Is the Status of the Belviq Lawsuit?

Because the information on the potential links to cancer only came out in 2020, any litigation against Eisai, Inc., is very new. There have been no major developments such as large verdicts or settlements. If you believe you have a case involving Belviq, speak with one of our skilled Belviq lawsuit attorneys.

Belviq Lawsuit 2022 Update

In one of the first lawsuits to be filed, a federal judge rejected the defendants attempt to have the plaintiff’s claims dismissed. Thus, the plaintiff’s claims of negligent failure to warn will continue to move forward.

Gerling Law Injury Attorneys has decades of experience with dangerous drug and defective product cases. We can help you determine whether your situation qualifies to file a lawsuit against the drug manufacturer.

Belviq Side Effects

In addition to the increased risk of cancer, Belviq has several potential side effects. Some of the mild side effects include:

• Dry mouth,
• Dizziness,
• Nausea,
• Headache,
• Tiredness, and
• Constipation.

Some patients reported other more serious but rare complications such as enlarged breasts, suicidal thoughts, easy bruising/bleeding, other mental and mood changes, or low blood sugar.

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