Belviq Weight Loss Review - 15 Things You Need to Know

Several pharmaceutical products relating to obesity have hit the market recently, including Belviq weight loss tablets. This product is used by those with a high Body Mass Index (BMI) that puts them in the clinically obese category.

What is Belviq used for exactly? Is Belviq discontinued? We researched everything you might want to know about this prescription weight loss drug so you can make informed decisions about it or a Belviq replacement.

Belviq Weight Loss can be purchased through their Official Site.

What is Belviq?

What is Belviq used for when taken by patients? The 10 mg tablet targets appetite receptors in the hypothalamus to make you feel satiated. That can help reduce your food intake and lower your weight.

• Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity: Targets and Therapy – Lorcaserin (sold as Belviq) is an anti-obesity drug affecting the 5-HT2C receptors that increase satiety while decreasing food intake. One journal notes that it reduces weight in patients with or without other health conditions.
• Journal of Pharmacology & Pharmacotherapeutics – Part of a 2014 article examined the method of action for Belviq. It states that therapeutic doses of Lorcaserin act as a 5-HT 2C agonist on neurons, causing the release of alfa MSH. That reacts within the hypothalamus, decreasing appetite.
• Clinical Obesity – A 2016 article notes that Lorcaserin (sold as Belviq) was indicated by the US Food and Drug Administration for chronic weight management in adults with obesity or overweight with one or more comorbidity. Its efficacy and safety became established in the BLOOM, BLOSSOM, and BLOOM-DM Phase III clinical trials.

Belviq Weight Loss Competitors

Who Makes Belviq?

The company behind the Belviq weight loss tablet is Eisai Co., Ltd. It is a Japanese company that began operations in 1941. The founder was Toyoji Naito. Eisai Co., Ltd. manufacturers pharmaceuticals worldwide.

An American subsidiary, Eisai Inc., was established in 1997 in New Jersey. The company continues to discover, develop, manufacture, and market pharmaceuticals. These include prescription medicines, generics, and over-the-counter drugs.

Scroll below for one of the best products we’ve seen over the last year.

Eisai Inc. Customer Service and Belviq Reviews

Our research found no Belviq product reviews that can provide customer feedback or ratings, especially post-recall. The company does not have any customer feedback on sites like Trustpilot or Yelp that you can explore.

Contact Information

EISAI GLOBAL HEADQUARTERS

Eisai Co., Ltd.
4-6-10 Koishikawa, Bunkyo-ku
Tokyo 112-8088
Japan

Phone: +81-3-3817-3700

EISAI INC. (HEADQUARTERS)

200 Metro Blvd,
Nutley, NJ 07110

Phone: (201)692-1100

Fax: (201)746-2600

The Relationship Between Belviq and the Better Business Bureau

Eisai Inc. has a company profile on the Better Business Bureau (BBB) website with an A+ BBB rating. The BBB file opened in September 2001, and the research indicates it is not BBB accredited. There are no customer reviews on file at this time.

Eisai has no customer complaints listed in the past 12 months, and there are no resolved complaints in the previous three-year period.

What Belviq Claims Did We Find?

Eisai Inc. claims that Belviq can help obese patients with weight loss. It is a prescription option for patients with a 31 BMI or higher and those with a 27-30 BMI with at least one obesity-related health condition.

The Belviq drug class allegedly activates serotonin in the brain, promoting feelings of being full. It is supposed to target the receptors that affect appetite.

What are the Belviq Ingredients?

The active ingredient in the Belviq tablets is Lorcaserin hydrochloride. Other inactive ingredients found in each blue film-coated tablet include:

• Silicified microcrystalline cellulose
• Hydroxypropyl cellulose NF
• Croscarmellose sodium NF
• Colloidal silicon dioxide NF
• Polyvinyl alcohol USP
• Polyethylene glycol NF
• Titanium dioxide USP
• Talc USP
• FD&C blue #2 aluminum lake
• Magnesium stearate VF

Does Belviq Work? Belviq Weight Loss Benefits

Pharmacotherapy treats things like obesity with medications. Obesity Reviews discusses this and states that trials show adding pharmacotherapy like Belviq to lifestyle interventions promotes greater weight loss and sustains it for a longer time than lifestyle interventions alone.

The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism looked at the BLOSSOM trial. It concluded that Lorcaserin administered in conjunction with a lifestyle modification program was associated with dose-dependent weight loss that was significantly greater than with a placebo.

In 2019, Diabetes, Obesity, and Metabolism published a study and concluded Lorcaserin-treated patients showed significant changes in atherogenic lipoproteins. That strongly correlates with improved cardiovascular risks. These findings were in addition to reduced central adipose tissue among participants.

Does Lorcaserin provide other health benefits beyond helping patients feel satiated? A review by Pharmacology & Therapeutics notes that several data sources suggest Lorcaserin may have therapeutic potential for health disorders and conditions beyond its obesity-related uses.

In February 2020, the FDA requested that Eisai voluntarily recall Belviq from the market. Expert Opinion on Pharmacology notes that while FDA analysis is ongoing, it is unlikely that Eisai re-introduces Lorcaserin without further trials focusing on the carcinogenic risks.

Are There Potential Belviq Side Effects?

The most common Belviq side effects include back pain, constipation, cough, dry mouth, headache, and tiredness.

More serious Belviq side effects that you should get medical help for right away include, but are not limited to: Agitation, blurred vision, breast swelling, confusion, diarrhea, dizziness, dry eyes, fast or uneven heartbeats, fainting, feelings of standing next to yourself, fever, hallucinations, lightheadedness, loss of coordination, memory problems, nausea, nipple discharge, ongoing weakness, overactive reflexes, penis erection that is painful or lasts longer than four hours, sweating, swelling in your extremities, thoughts of hurting yourself, tremors, trouble breathing, trouble concentrating, unusual changes in mood or behavior, very stiff muscles, and vomiting.

How to Take Belviq: Directions

Belviq weight loss therapy is an oral medication with a recommended dosage level of 10 mg. Take it twice daily. You can take Belviq with or without food, but you should not exceed more than two doses daily.

Belviq is a long-term medication. Your doctor should evaluate you after 12 weeks to see if you have lost at least 5% of your baseline body weight. If you have not, you should discontinue use as it is unlikely that you will achieve or sustain meaningful weight loss with continued treatment.

Can I Take Belviq With…

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has requested the manufacturer of Belviq, Eisai Inc., withdraw the medication from the American market.

If you are taking it or a Belviq replacement, you and your doctor should have already discussed potential issues or interactions with other medications. Consult your primary care doctor before starting or stopping any supplements or medications, especially if you have underlying health conditions.

Where to Buy Belviq and the Cost

You can not buy this weight loss drug. It was available as a prescription-only medication before the 2020 voluntary Belviq recall. What those prices were, or what insurance plans covered, is not currently available from reliable sources.

Can You Cancel My Belviq Prescription?

We can not cancel your existing prescription or any Belviq replacement order you have with manufacturers or your retail pharmacy. This website functions as a source of researched information on medications like the Belviq weight loss drugs. You need to contact the pharmacy your prescriptions come from to cancel.

What About the Belviq Recall?

The British Medical Journal highlights that the FDA requested Eisai voluntarily withdraw the drug from the US market on February 13, 2020. That request came from an observed increase involving rapidly growing cells that can cause serious health complications in patients using the drug.

The Pros and Cons of Belviq

Pros

• Belviq weight loss use appears to be marginally effective at controlling appetite
• Is designed to be used long-term by patients dealing with obesity
• The oral medication might appeal to those who do not like injection treatments

Cons

• Patients must meet specific weight criteria before a Belviq prescription can be offered
• FDA requested suspension of product sales due to health concerns
• Currently unavailable in the North American market

What’s the Bottom Line on Belviq?

The Belviq drug class of CNS stimulants, anorexiants, and serotonin 5-HT2C-receptor agonists appear to have the potential for promoting satiety that can decrease food consumption. It is a prescribed oral medication that some are more comfortable with when compared to injection drugs for weight loss.

Is Belviq discontinued? Yes. The manufacturer applied for a voluntary Belviq recall in February 2020 at the request of the FDA. A Belviq lawsuit is currently ongoing, and several law firms are advertising themselves as a Belviq attorney for patients contemplating litigation.

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