FDA Approves First-Ever Swallowable Balloon for Weight Loss: In a major development in obesity treatment, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the world’s first swallowable gastric balloon designed to support weight loss without the need for surgery. The device offers a non-invasive alternative for individuals struggling with excess weight and looking for options beyond medications or bariatric procedures.
Developed by Massachusetts-based Allurion Technologies, the smart capsule can be swallowed like a pill and does not require anaesthesia, endoscopy, or any surgical intervention. The company announced the FDA clearance on Monday, February 23, calling it a significant step toward expanding access to non-surgical weight management solutions in the United States.
Benefits Of Swallowable Balloon For Weight Loss
“We’re now FDA-approved in the US! The Allurion Gastric Balloon System, featuring Allurion Smart Capsule, backed by over 200,000 patients treated worldwide and over 30 peer-reviewed publications of data, is officially here!” Allurion Technologies stated on Instagram. “This marks a major step forward in our mission to help more patients achieve metabolically healthy weight loss – safely, non-surgically, and sustainably.”
Obesity has been a major key factor for several health risks, and about 40 per cent of adults in the United States are affected by excessive weight. According to the Massachusetts company, 20 per cent of those have already tried a GLP-1 drug, but 65 per cent of those have discontinued within a year due to side effects or unsustainable results. To manage obesity, which has more than doubled since 1990, the company claims that using the Allurion Gastric Balloon System, individuals can lose up to 14 per cent of their body weight.
Who Can Take The Gastric Balloon To Lose Weight?
The gastric balloon has already been used in more than 70 other countries. Individuals with obesity who are between 22 and 65 years old, including those with a BMI between 30 and 40, can take the first-ever swallowable balloon designed for weight loss. “Allurion is now available for patients in the United States,” Dr. Shantanu Gaur, Founder and CEO of Allurion Technologies, told a leading media outlet. “We are in the process of training doctors around the country to begin utilizing the technology.”
Side Effects Of Gastric Balloon You Must Know
This swallowable gastric balloon capsule, filled with saline solution by healthcare professionals, takes up space in your stomach, helping you to stay full for longer. The capsule deflates and leaves your body in a bowel movement after four months. According to Dr. Shelby Sullivan, professor of medicine at Dartmouth University’s Geisel School of Medicine, some people may experience side effects of swallowing a gastric capsule, such as nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain in the first three to seven days. Some individuals may notice their stomach wall gets thicker due to the weight of the balloon, but it returns to normal about a month after the balloon is removed.
If you’re looking for a long-term weight loss solution, taking the gastric balloon capsule may not be the suitable treatment for you, as the weight may come back once the balloon is gone. Dr. Shauna Levy, Obesity Medicine Specialist, Medical Director at Tulane Bariatric and Weight Loss Center in New Orleans, told the media, “For a long-term weight loss solution, I do not think balloons are the answer. Obesity is hormonally driven, and these are space-occupying balloons. They allow you to get fuller, but they don’t really target your hormones… Understanding the physiology of obesity, it seems to guarantee that the weight is going to come back.”
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