Focus Taiwan
Date: 02/14/2020
By: Chen Wei-ting and Matthew Mazzetta

Taipei, Feb. 14 (CNA) Taiwan's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Friday issued a product warning for the weight loss drug Belviq, after American medical authorities reported on Thursday that clinical trials on the drug's active ingredient, lorcaserin, showed an increased risk of several types of cancer.

In a statement, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said clinical testing on individuals taking lorcaserin showed a higher frequency of pancreatic, colorectal and lung cancers.

After being notified of the trial data, the drug's manufacturer, Ensai Inc., submitted a request to voluntarily withdraw it from the market, the statement said.

On Friday evening, FDA division chief Hung Kuo-teng (洪國登) told CNA that only one product containing lorcaserin — 10 milligram doses of the weight loss drug Belviq — was approved for sale in Taiwan.
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