A revolutionary weight loss pill that contains a gastric balloon to help treat obese patients is being used by the NHS for the first time.

The treatment, which can be delivered in 15 minutes, is approved by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and is designed to make people feel fuller, so they eat less.

The drug – developed by Allurion, was approved in 2020 but the first two NHS patients have now been treated at Musgrove Park Hospital in Somerset.

Professor Richard Welbourn, consultant bariatric surgeon at Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, said: “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% to 15% of their weight in four months, which improves quality of life and makes patients healthier.”

The balloon, tucked inside a capsule, is swallowed by the patient and filled with water.

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The patient swallows the capsule which is attached to a thin tube.

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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 found people managed to keep 95% of their weight off for a year after treatment.

Dr Shantanu Gaur, founder and chief executive of Allurion, said: “We are looking forward to expanding this partnership and benefiting many more NHS patients in the months and years to come.”

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