The FDA or the US Food and Drug Administration warns the public that the prescription weight loss medicine called Belviq might be linked to an increased risk of cancer. The findings were the result of a clinical trial that assessed the safety of the drugs Belviq and Belviq RX, or lorcaserin.
The FDA stated that at this time, the cause of the cancer is not certain, and they can't conclude that lorcaserin contributes to the cancer risk. But they wanted to make the public aware of this potential risk. They are continuing to evaluate the clinical trial results and they will communicate their conclusions and recommendations when they have completed their review.
The FDA went on to note that health care professionals should consider if the benefits of taking lorcaserin exceed the potential risks for a patient and that patients that are currently taking the drug should talk to their doctors about the potential increased risk of cancer. The drug manufacturer, Eisai Inc., responded to the announcement of the FDA in a written statement.
The statement said that patient safety is Eisai's priority and they will continue to work closely with the FDA to evaluate the clinical trial results. They recommend patients to talk directly to their health care professionals in order to make the best decision about their medical treatment. As shown in the FDA's communication, at this time, the FDA and Eisai can't conclude that Belviq increases the risk of cancer.
Health risks of taking Belviq
Lorcaserin was approved by the FDA in 2012. It is an oral medication, and it was made available by prescription the year following to help weight loss in adults who are overweight and obese and have weight-related medical problems. Lorcaserin, also available as Belviq, which is taken twice a day, and Belviq XR, which is an extended-release once a day tablet, works by increasing the feelings of fullness so you eat less.
According to the FDA, when approving lorcaserin, they required the drug manufacturer Eisai Inc., to conduct a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial in order to evaluate the risk of heart-related problems. In the trial, conducted in about 12,000 people over five years, more patients taking lorcaserin were diagnosed with cancer compared to those who took a placebo, which was an inactive treatment. The FDA said that their evaluation of this potential signal is ongoing, and at this time it is not certain if lorcaserin increases the risk of cancer.
Weight loss drugs
The weight-loss drugs that were approved by the FDA for long-term use include orlistat, whose brand name is Xenical, lorcaserin, whose brand name is Belviq, and liraglutide, whose brand name is Saxenda, as well as the combination drugs naltrexone-bupropion, whose brand name is Contrave and phentermine-topiramate, whose brand name is Qsymia.
In a recent study, these drugs helped overweight or obese people lose at least 5% of their body weight at the end of a year, and that is at least 10 pounds, compared with a placebo. Saxenda and Qsymia were linked to the highest odds of getting that amount of weight loss. For a lot of people, losing 5% to 10% of your body weight is linked to improved blood pressure, triglycerides and blood sugar, these factors are known to lower the risk for heart disease and diabetes.
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