TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwanese health authorities announced Thursday (July 16) that the weight-loss drug lorcaserin would be permanently banned from the market after American researchers identified an increased cancer risk in people taking the medication.
Eisai's Belviq has long struggled to prove itself in obesity. With a recall underway after a cancer risk scare, Belviq's chances may be gone for good.
ISSUE: FDA has requested that the manufacturer of Belviq, Belviq XR (lorcaserin) voluntarily withdraw the weight-loss drug from the U.S. market because a safety clinical trial shows an increased occurrence of cancer. The drug manufacturer, Eisai Inc,. has submitted a request to voluntarily withdraw the drug.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Tuesday alerted the public to the results from a clinical trial that showed a possible increased risk of cancer with Eisai’s weight management drug Belviq (lorcaserin) and the extended release version.
Zydus Cadila has received the tentative approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market lorcaserin hydrochloride tablets (US RLD — Belviq tablets), 10 mg.
Zydus Pharmaceutical's Generic Lorcaserin Hydrochloride Receives Approval in US
United Therapeutics $UTHR is paying an $800 million cash upfront in a big bet to stay among the leaders in pulmonary arterial hypertension, grabbing rights to Arena Pharmaceuticals’ ralinepag in the deal. And the executive crew is willing to add hundreds of millions more in milestones if they can stay on track through to an approval and commercialization.
Eisai Co., Ltd. has entered into an agreement with Eurofarma Laboratorios, to grant exclusive development and marketing rights for its anti-obesity agent lorcaserin hydrochloride in 17 countries, in Latin America and the Caribbean, excluding Brazil,
Lorcaserin is an appetite suppressant, increasing the sense of fullness after a meal and reducing hunger before meals.
Let’s be honest, the market for weight loss drugs has mostly been bust. While the industry has moved on from the fen-phen fiasco of decades past, newer diet pills like Belviq and Qsymia have still failed to deliver big sales.