Eisai, a Japan-based drugmaker, said Feb. 13 it will remove its drug, Belviq, from the U.S. market after the FDA found an increased risk of cancer in people who took the weight loss drug.
Belviq was developed by San Diego-based drugmaker Arena Pharmaceuticals and was approved by the FDA in 2012. Arena later sold it to Eisai, and the drugmaker has continued selling it in the U.S. market.
The FDA said Feb. 13 it found an increased cancer risk linked to Belviq from a clinical trial that was started after the drug received approval. The agency recommended people stop using Belviq immediately and for it to be removed from the market.
The FDA said the cancer risk increases the longer the drug is taken.
Read the full news release here.