Belviq Weight Loss Lawsuit
Prescription weight loss drugs Belviq and Belviq XR were removed from the market in 2020 due to an increased risk of cancer. If you took Belviq or Belviq XR and were later diagnosed with cancer, or if a loved one died of cancer after taking Belviq/Belviq XR, you may be eligible to receive compensation from the drug manufacturer.
About Belviq
Belviq (generic name: lorcaserin) and its extended-release formula, Belviq XR, is a prescription weight loss medication manufactured by Eisai Inc. Despite the fact that early testing showed that test rats taking the drug developed tumors, the FDA officially approved Belviq in 2012, and it hit US markets in June 2013.
Belviq helps people lose weight by targeting the body’s serotonin receptors to increase the feeling of being full so that people eat less.
Like older weight loss drugs Fen Phen and Redux – which were also pulled off the market due to serious health complications, Belviq’s potential benefits were outweighed by its risks.
In January 2020, the FDA alerted Belviq users that results of a clinical trial showed that over a long-term period, patients taking the drug were diagnosed with cancer at a higher rate than those taking a placebo.
On February 13, 2020, the FDA officially requested a Belviq recall while encouraging patients to speak with their doctors about safer weight loss medications or strategies.
Compensation for Belviq Cancer
Plaintiffs in Belviq cancer lawsuits have the right to seek money damages to account for economic and non-economic losses, such as:
- All medical expenses connected to Belviq-related cancer
- Wage and income loss
- Loss of future earnings
- Emotional anguish
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Permanent disability
- Wrongful death
Public Not Warned of Link Between Belviq and Cancer
Pharmaceutical companies like Eisai Co. have a responsibility to design and manufacture drugs that are safe for their intended purpose, and to warn the public of all potential risks and side effects. For many Belviq patients, their first indication of elevated cancer risks came only after the FDA warning and voluntary recall – seven years after the drug first hit the market. Common allegations in defective drug lawsuits include:
- Failure to conduct pre-market safety trials
- Failure to warn patients and the medical community about possible health risks
- Providing misleading statements about the safety of their products
- Designing a defective and dangerous drug
