The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a recall of a popularly prescribed weight loss medication last week. The federal agency did so after discovering that lorcaserin, a drug that is more commonly known by its brand name Belviq, may put patients who take it at a higher risk for developing cancer.
Lorcaserin Introduced to Market
Lorcaserin was originally introduced on the market here in the U.S. in 2012. It was touted as a drug that could help obese individuals curb their appetites. It wasn’t long after it was made available to patients that the FDA demanded that drug manufacturers conduct clinical trials for the drug.
Lorcaserin Put Patients At Higher Risk for Cancer
Eisai is the drug’s manufacturer. Their initial clinical research studies focused on seeing if lorcaserin caused cardiovascular problems. The pharmaceutical company’s research regarding heart problems was inconclusive. What they did determine though is that the drug did put patients at higher risk of developing pancreatic, lung, and colorectal cancer.
FDA Pulls Belviq
The FDA immediately requested that Eisai reach out to providers that were actively prescribing the drug to inform them to no longer do so. The federal agency had the pharmaceutical company reach out to pharmacies and patients alike to ask them to dispose of the drug securely as well. They then called upon doctors to reach out to their patients to urge them to stop taking Belviq.
When you hear commercials on television for different drugs or medications, the narrator will often call out a variety of side effects that are associated with it. One of the worst things that can happen is for a patient not to be properly informed about the dangers associated with a particular drug. A drug injury attorney can aid you in compiling the necessary evidence to sue a drug manufacturer if your health has declined because you weren’t adequately informed of all the dangers that it posed.
