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People would soon benefit from a new pill that delivers a deflated balloon in the stomach to reduce food cravings and weight gain without the need for surgical procedures, according to the press release by American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. The treatment, called Elipse, has been successful in clinical trials in helping patients lose a large amount of weight by only swallowing a single pill for four months.

Elipse offers the “first procedure-less gastric balloon” that would significantly help people who find it hard to lose weight through conventional methods, according to a new study. The pill is manufactured by Allurion Technologies.

The pill was developed to be swallowed and to dissolve in the stomach; it will then produce a small, deflated balloon. Upon taking the pill, a physician would then fill the balloon with 550 ml of liquid through a catheter to expand its size.

The balloon expands to the size of a grapefruit and occupies the available space in the stomach. The balloon is expected to suppress the appetite of the patient for four months and promote weight loss.

After four months, the valve of the balloon will automatically open and lead the material to deflate. Allurion said that the deflated balloon will pass safely through the gastrointestinal tract of the patient and will be excreted.

The finding of the effectiveness of the new gastric balloon comes from the trial of 34 patients conducted by Allurion Technologies. The study shows that the patients lost over a third of their excess body weight after four months, with an average weight loss of 10 kilogrammes.

“For many struggling with their weight, procedure-less gastric balloon devices may serve as a treatment option that bridges the gap between weight-loss drugs and surgery,” said Ninh Nguyen, a professor in surgery at the University of California, who was not involved in the study.

There have also been improvements in triglycerides and haemoglobin A1c levels in the patients that reduced their risk of developing diabetes and heart disease. However, there have been minor side effects in some patients.

Patients experienced nausea and vomiting, which are common side effects of other gastric balloons on the market. The study was recently presented at the Obesity Week 2015 in Los Angeles.

However, the product has not yet been approved for the market by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the U.S. To date, Elipse is only advised for people with a mass index above 27, and the researchers noted that the treatment should not be used for long-term weight loss.

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