Potential problems with Belviq/Lorcaserin….
Belviq/Lorcaserin has picked up some scars along the road to approval. Although side effects reported in association with its use appear tobe mild and for the most tolerable, it had been previously rejected by the FDAon the grounds that its safety profile had not been sufficiently explored. This rejection was in 2009.
It works similar to the now banned drug, Fenfluramine, which was the culprit in a massive amount of heart related injuries such as cardiacfibrosis and cardiac valvulopathy and marketed under the name Fen-Phen. Arena claims the drug is much more selective than Fenfluramine, so the risks are significantly decreased.
In animal studies, reports show that there were occasions of tumors that grew in the mammary tissue of rats. This also remains a concern, a concern that has prompted the FDA to issue a warning to the maker despite approving the drug in an 18-4 vote. Substantial long-term studies are not available and with the approval of Belviq/Lorcaserin, other drugs, with scars of their own, one particularly pertaining to complications with heart valves are vying for a spot in the market. The obesity drug market is still rather unexplored which leaves additional speculation to come.
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