First NHS patients lose weight using gastric balloon hidden in tiny pill

23 January 2024 , 00:00

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Danielle Worden took the pill just 15 weeks ago

NHS patients have begun receiving a pill that expands into a balloon in the stomach, combating obesity.

The first ever swallowable gastric balloon makes patients feel full so they eat less. Allurion, the company behind the pill, said it has been in talks with NHS trusts about rolling out the treatment since it was approved by NICE in 2020.

Now the first two NHS patients have been treated at Musgrove Park Hospital in Somerset. Three more will follow next month.

The pill differs from some other gastric balloons in that it requires no surgery, endoscopy or anaesthesia. The balloon, tucked inside a capsule, is attached to a thin tube before it is swallowed. It is then filled with water during a 15-minute doctor’s visit.

Professor Richard Welbourn, consultant bariatric surgeon at Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, said the pill was part of a holistic treatment programme, adding: “We expect that patients using the programme will lose 10-15% of their weight in four months.”

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Danielle before taking the pill

She is a big advocate of the procedure

In trials, users kept 95% of the lost weight off for at least a year. The pill is only approved as a short-term measure so far, to slim down very obese patients enough that they can have full surgery.

But Allurion Chief Executive Shantanu Gaur said: “We have treated over 130,000 patients around the world, most of whom don’t qualify for bariatric surgery. Access could be expanded to treat patients who have moderate obesity or are simply overweight.”

The rise in obesity is blamed on ultra-processed foods bypassing our fullness detection system. While the treatment is currently only available on the NHS in Somerset to those awaiting gastric band surgery, the manufacturers insist it could be rolled out more widely.

Shantanu Gaur, chief executive of Allurion, said: "We have treated over 130,000 patients around the world, most of whom do not even qualify for bariatric surgery.

Danielle has lost three and a half stone since taking the pill

"In the future, we believe that access could be expanded further to treat patients who have moderate obesity or are simply overweight and lead to significantly higher cost savings for the healthcare system."

Many modern junk foods and ultra processed foods bypass the body's natural "satiety" sensors so we keep eating more than we need. The balloon works by making patients uncomfortably full sooner so they stop eating.

The pill has already been approved by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) but so far only has a short term measure before full bariatric surgery. Currently the NHS is using the balloon to help dangerously overweight patients shed pounds so they are healthy enough to undergo full surgery.

The gastric balloon is hidden in the pill (WilliamsonVisuals.com)

The first two patients have already lost about two stone in the first two months since the balloon was placed in their stomach. A further three patients are due to have the balloon placed in February this year, and up to a dozen others also scheduled.

Musgrove Park Hospital in Somerset is the first NHS first non-private sector organisation in the world to offer the innovative procedure. However some patients requiring less extreme weight loss have paid privately for the treatment.

Danielle Worden is one of the patients to have paid privately for the appetite suppressing pill. The 40-year-old from Rugby, in Warwickshire, says she has lost three and a half stone since having it fitted last September.

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She said: “I even continued to lose weight over the foody festive period thanks to all the tools and knowledge the program has given me. It’s given me the gift of self-confidence. I've now also had the courage to join my local gym, where I've made lots of new friends.

“The nutritional coaching has helped me change my habits for the long-term. I’m excited about my future.”

Martin Bagot