The New Weight Loss Pill

There are thousands of weight loss pills on the market claiming to shed pounds of fat, but this new pill just might give the rest a run for their money.

It’s called Allurion, and it’s a new method of gastric bypass surgery.

Instead of the patient going in and receiving fairly invasive surgery coupled with anesthesia and recovery time, they can now swallow a pill as an alternative to surgery while still getting the same results.

About 15 minutes after the pill is swallowed it turns into an inflated balloon that sits in the stomach. The balloon gives the patient a feeling of being full, much like the balloon that’s inserted during gastric bypass surgery.

Patients consume less calories and eventually begin to loose weight. After four months the balloon deflates and is naturally excreted from the body.

The Boston-based startup has raised roughly $27 million in funding for the pill, according to TechCrunch, and is seeking FDA approval for use in the U.S.

So far the balloon, called the Elipse Balloon, has been approved in parts of Europe and the Middle East, and has received good reviews.

But the big question will be if the Elipse Balloon will work for the very obese, or be more suitable for those who fall into a different category.

Four months might be enough time for some people to see results, but for others the balloon might not have the same impact.

The balloon is the only one of its kind that requires no surgery in order for it to be inserted into the stomach. Allurion hopes to continue to meet demand for the device in the U.S. and other parts of the world so they may continue seeking a clinical trial in hopes of getting FDA approval.

Nearly 1 in 3 Americans are obese, according to the Center for Disease Control, with nearly 200,000 weight loss surgeries performed in 2015 alone.