Allurion launches gastric balloon for weight loss

Allurion, a company dedicated to ending obesity, has launched the Allurion Swallowable Capsule in India - the only medical weight-loss device fully approved by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), the national regulatory authority of India overseen by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare’s Directorate General of Health Services.

Dr.Shantanu Gaur founded Allurion with one goal: end obesity. After completing his undergraduate studies at Harvard University, Dr. Gaur founded the company while completing his medical studies at Harvard Medical School in 2009. Together with his partner and former Harvard professor Dr. Ram Chuttani, he developed the vision for the Allurion Program. At the core of the Allurion Program is the Allurion Swallowable Capsule: the world’s first and only swallowable, procedureless* gastric balloon for weight loss. The Allurion Swallowable Capsule is paired with the Allurion Virtual Care Suite, a remote patient monitoring solution powered by the Allurion Iris AI platform that includes the Allurion Mobile App, Connected Scale and Health Tracker.

"As someone of Indian origin, India is a special market for Allurion.It is part of my personal mission to bring our revolutionary technology to India to help end obesity and diabetes,” says Dr Shantanu Gaur, Founder and CEO of Allurion."Whether it is because they have a wedding coming up, have steadily put on weight due to a busy or stressful lifestyle, recently had a health scare, need to improve their fertility, or need to lose weight before an operation, the Allurion Program can be the answer for millions of patients throughout India,"he adds.

At the heart of the Allurion Program is the Allurion’sVirtual Care Suite, which integrates the Allurion Mobile App, Connected Scale, and Health Trackerinto a single “digital umbrella” to provide remote patient monitoring, tele health and secure messaging with the care team. The software platform is powered by artificial intelligence and machine learning to allow care teams to interact with their patients– and their data.

The Allurion Programcan lead to 2.5 times more weight loss compared to dietor exercise alone. More importantly, it works to help patients make lifestyle changes that remain with them long after the balloon is gone.

Dr Mohit Bhandari of MohakBariatrics is a bariatric and endoscopic weight-loss surgeon, and a pioneer in offering the Allurion Program in India.“Obesity is on the rise in India with three out of every four urban Indians overweight. As one of the most experienced bariatric surgeons in the Asia Pacific region with 17,000 bariatric surgeries performed to date, I think that weight management needs to be normalized rather than stigmatized, and the Allurion Program is a positive step in that direction, ”he says.

Dr Ram Chuttani, Chief Medical Officer and Founding Partner of Allurion, adds: "Allurion is committed to provide patients a best-in-class experience, and their safety is our top priority. Studies have confirmed the proven efficacy and safety4 of the Allurion Program, helping patients lose an average 10-15% of their body weight in approximately 16 weeks1.

Benoit Chardon, Chief Commercial Officer of Allurion states: "Considering Allurion's success across markets – a result of the perfect match between the benefits delivered by our program and patient expectations – as well as the growing prevalence of obesity in India, we are confident of the potential for success with our program in the country, where our market research has shown that over a million obese people concerned and ready to act about their weight would consider Allurion."