Belviq lawsuits are being filed against Eisai Inc. because of the drug’s link to cancer. The lawsuits began after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration asked Eisai to pull it off the market. A five-year study of Belviq users convinced the FDA that the drug posed an increased cancer risk.
If you or your loved one were diagnosed with cancer after taking Belviq, you may be entitled to compensation. Get a free case review today.
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Belviq users who developed pancreatic, colorectal, and lung cancer began filing lawsuits shortly after the FDA found an increased risk of these cancers in people who took the drug. Lawsuits said Eisai Inc. failed to warn about the risk. Arena Pharmaceuticals manufactures Belviq at its facility in Switzerland. Eisai Inc. marketed and distributed Belviq in the United States. Both companies are named in lawsuits.
On Feb. 13, 2020, the FDA requested that Eisai Inc. voluntarily withdraw the drug over the potential cancer link. The agency based its decision on results from a five-year study of Belviq users that the company had conducted to make sure there were no serious cardiovascular risks associated with the drug.
“We are taking this action because we believe that the risks of lorcaserin outweigh its benefits based on our completed review of results from a randomized clinical trial assessing safety,” the FDA announcement read.
When the FDA approved Belviq, it required Eisai to conduct a long-term study into the drug’s cardiovascular effects. The study involved 12,000 people, some taking Belviq and others taking a placebo. Data from the trial showed that 7.7 percent of the people taking Belviq developed cancer, compared to 7.1 percent taking the placebo.
The company complied with the FDA’s request, but it issued a statement saying that its interpretation of data from the study differed from the FDA’s.
“The company’s assessment is that Belviq and Belviq XR continue to have a positive benefit-risk profile in the patient population for which they are indicated,” the statement read.
The statement added that Eisai respected the FDA’s decision and was working with the agency to remove its drug from the market.
In May, 2022, U.S. District Judge Anne Conway agreed to a request to stay all proceedings while plaintiffs and defendants try to negotiate a global settlement. Defendants have been quietly settling cases for confidential amounts and could offer a global settlement. Settlement negotiations have continued into 2023.
Plaintiffs’ lawyers asked the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) to consolidate cases from across the country into multidistrict litigation (MDL) in the Eastern District of Louisiana, in April 2021.
“It is estimated that hundreds of individuals (if not numbers in the low thousands) developed cancer as a direct and proximate result of using and ingesting Defendants’ Belviq. Many of these injured individuals have filed or will be filing lawsuits against Defendants,” lawyers said in court documents.
In August 2021, a judge ruled Belviq cases would proceed without being consolidated in an MDL. Cases remained in each respective state court.
People who developed lung, pancreatic or colorectal cancer after taking Belviq for a total of six months may be eligible to file a lawsuit. It does not have to be six months in a row. They should have taken Belviq within seven years of being diagnosed with cancer.
The cancers must have originated in the lung, pancreas or colon; it cannot have spread to them from other organs. Those who lost a loved one to cancer after they took Belviq should talk to a lawyer within a year and a half of his or her death.
People considering a Belviq lawsuit should have details of their personal cancer history with them when they talk to an attorney about filing a case.
When choosing a top Belviq cancer lawyer to file a lawsuit on your behalf, it’s important to choose a lawyer who has extensive experience in pharmaceutical litigation. Be sure to ask them what their experience is and if they have had success settling cases or acquiring jury verdicts in other defective drug cases.
For example, Drugwatch partners with Belviq lawyers Morgan & Morgan. Over the past 30 years, the firm has recovered more than $15 billion for clients and has extensive experience litigating cases against large drug companies.
If you want to file a Belviq lawsuit, you should contact a Belviq cancer lawyer right away to see if you qualify. Consultations are free. There are time limits to file a claim. If the statute of limitations runs out, you could lose your chance to file a lawsuit.
Do I qualify to file a Belviq cancer lawsuit?
Only a licensed Belviq lawyer can tell you if you qualify to file a Belviq cancer lawsuit. Be sure to tell the attorney about your experiences with Belviq and all the side effects you had.
What do I need to prove my case?
To prove your cancer could have been caused by Belviq, your Belviq lawyer will need medical records, receipts and other evidence to show you took the drug and were diagnosed with cancer. The lawyer will explain any evidence needed.
How long will my case take to settle?
Pharmaceutical cases like Belviq lawsuits may take several years to settle because of the complex science and evidence needed to prove the drug could have caused cancer. Your Belviq attorney should be able to give you more information on what time frame to expect.
What is my Belviq cancer lawsuit worth?
Estimating how much a Belviq case is worth can be difficult in the early stages of litigation. Usually, lawyers have a better idea of how much each case is worth after cases go through bellwether test trials. Based on their previous experience, however, a Belviq lawyer may be able to give you an estimate of an average case value.
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