Somerset NHS patients first to receive weight loss balloon pill
Those who have it lose an average of 10 to 15 per cent of their body weight in the first four months
Last updated 8th Aug 2024
The first two patients on the NHS have started on a type of weight-loss pill... a capsule that contains a gastric balloon filled with water.
The procedure has been been carried out at Musgrove Park Hospital, with the treatment designed to make people fuller - so they eat less.
It means there's no need for an endoscopy, hospital bed, theatre time or anaesthetics - with the procedure taking just 15 minutes.
Once the pill has been swallowed, it's then filled with water inside the stomach, as it's attached to a small tube - which is removed afterwards.
Allurion, the company behind the pill, which has been approved by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, said it has been in talks with NHS trusts about rolling out the treatment since it was approved in 2020.
Once the pill has been swallowed, an X-ray confirms the correct placement in the stomach and 550ml of water is put into the balloon via the tube.
A second X-ray is then taken to check the balloon is full and sitting well in the stomach. The tube is then removed.
After around four months, a time-activated release valve automatically opens, allowing the water-filled balloon to empty and pass naturally through the gastrointestinal tract.
Data suggests the device helps patients lose an average of 10-15% of their body weight after 16 weeks.
Furthermore, people managed to keep 95% of their weight off for a year after treatment. A nutrition and lifestyle programme is provided by Allurion to help keep people on track.
A further three NHS patients are due to be treated in early February, with up to a dozen others also scheduled.
Professor Richard Welbourn, consultant bariatric surgeon at Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, said: "We are very pleased to be able to offer this new treatment, a first for the NHS, that offers clinically meaningful weight loss as part of a holistic programme involving dietary support and care.
"People with severe obesity are prone to diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, which can be reversed with weight loss.
"The Allurion balloon is a 15-minute outpatient procedure, and is swallowed, so there's no need for an endoscopy, hospital bed, theatre time or anaesthetic, which is better for the NHS and a much-improved experience for our patients.
"We expect that patients using the programme will lose 10-15% of their weight in four months, which improves quality of life and makes patients healthier."
Dr Shantanu Gaur, founder and chief executive of Allurion, said: "We are thrilled to be partnering with the NHS for the first time to deliver the Allurion programme.
"We are looking forward to expanding this partnership and benefiting many more NHS patients in the months and years to come."