Lorcaserin

Lorcaserin, currently marketed under the trade name Belviq and previously Lorqess during development, is a weight-loss drug developed by Arena Pharmaceuticals. It has serotonergic properties and acts as an anorectic.

Medical uses

Lorcaserin is used long term for weight loss in those who are obese.

Side effects

In clinical trials, the most common side effect was headache, experienced by about 18% of drug arm participants compared to 11% of placebo participants. Headache was the only reported side effect to occur at a frequency greater than 5 percentage points above those from placebo. Other reported side effects and their rates for lorcaserin and placebo patients, respectively, were as follows: upper respiratory tract infection (14.8% vs. 11.9%), nasopharyngitis (13.4% vs. 12.0%), sinusitis (7.2% vs. 8.2%), and nausea (7.5% vs. 5.4%). Adverse events of depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation were infrequent and were reported at a similar rate in each treatment group.

On 15 September 2010 it was reported by national news media that lorcaserin was associated with the development of cancer in laboratory rats.