Belviq® is a weight-loss drug approved by the FDA to treat obesity. Produced and sold by Eisai Inc., Belviq® entered the market in 2012 and offered a weight-loss solution to people struggling with obesity.
Unlike most diet pills available over-the-counter, Belviq® was a prescription drug used to treat obesity as opposed to cosmetic weight loss. Belviq® was also sometimes prescribed to aid overweight people with serious medical conditions, such as high blood pressure.
Belviq® was the first weight-loss drug to be approved by the FDA in many years. However, the FDA later announced increased rates of lung, pancreatic, breast, and colorectal cancer among Belviq® users after a five-year study of the drug’s safety. As a result of these findings, the FDA requested that Eisai Inc. pull Belviq® from the market in February of 2020.
While Eisai publicly stated that it had a different perspective on the five-year study, the company adhered to the FDA’s decision and withdrew their product from the market.