NHS gastric balloon: first patients receive Allurion weight-loss treatment which aims to make people feel fuller

NHS patients have received a new weight-loss pill that contains a gastric balloon for the first time.

Two patients have received the weight-loss treatment at Musgrove Park Hospital in Somerset, becoming the first two people to receive the pill on the NHS. It was approved for use by the NHS in 2020, with Allurion, the company behind the pill, saying that it had been in constant talks with NHS bosses to begin treatments.

The capsule, which contains the gastric balloon and is then filled with water while inside the stomach, can be administered in only 15 minutes at a doctor's office. It also cuts the need for surgery, endoscopy or anaesthesia used with traditional gastric balloon or sleeve treatments.

The pill, which has a thin tube attached to the end of it, is swallowed by the patient and after an X-ray confirms that the pill is in the correct placement in the stomach, it is filled with 550ml of water. A second X-ray is then taken to make sure that the inflated gastric balloon is sitting in the stomach correctly, before the tube is removed.

The gastric balloon features a time-activated release valve which automatically opens after around four months in the stomach. Once the valve is open, the water releases and the pill passes naturally through the gastrointestinal tract.

According to research, the gastric balloon pill is effective for many for the aim of weight loss, with patients losing an average of 10 per cent to 15 per cent of their body weight over a 16-week period. Adding to this, those who used the device were able to keep 95% of the weight lost off for a year after the treatment, with the help of a nutrition and lifestyles plan by Allurion.

Professor Richard Welbourn, consultant bariatric surgeon at Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We are very pleased to be able to offer this new treatment, a first for the NHS, that offers clinically meaningful weight loss as part of a holistic programme involving dietary support and care. 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 10-15% of their weight in four months, which improves quality of life and makes patients healthier.”

Dr Shantanu Gaur, founder and chief executive of Allurion, said: “We are thrilled to be partnering with the NHS for the first time to deliver the Allurion programme. We are looking forward to expanding this partnership and benefiting many more NHS patients in the months and years to come.”