In 2012 the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) approved Belviq and Belviq XR (lorcaserin) as a prescription drug for use in weight loss. Belviq works by tricking the receptors in your brain into thinking you are full and satisfied when you are eating a low-calorie diet. It doesn’t have the unpleasant side effects of weight loss drugs that prevent fat absorption – such as oily spotting, gas, and possible incontinence. It can also lead to lower blood sugar in people with diabetes.
Sounds great, right?
Really great, but most likely too good to be true. When Belviq was approved, the FDA required Eisai, Inc, the manufacturer of Belviq, to conduct a large placebo controlled clinical trial to evaluate any increased risk of cardiovascular problems, which as you may remember led to the removal of the popular weight loss duo fen-phen from the market in 1997. The study did not show an increase in adverse cardiovascular events, but it did reveal that the patients in the trial that were taking Belviq had an increase in pancreatic, colorectal and lung malignancies. In February 2020 the FDA asked Eisai Inc. to remove Belviq from the market. While (according to the Belviq website) the company believes that Belviq has a positive benefit-risk profile for their targeted patient population, they are voluntarily removing the Belviq and Belviq XR from the market.
If you or someone you know was prescribed Belviq, please call us at 402-505-3555 to discuss your claim and explore your options for securing maximum possible compensation.
