NATICK, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Allurion Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: ALUR), a company dedicated to ending obesity, today announced that the Somerset NHS Foundation Trust (FT) is the first NHS trust in the United Kingdom, and the first non-private sector organisation in the world, to introduce the Allurion Gastric Balloon - the world's only swallowable gastric balloon that requires no surgery, no endoscopy and no anaesthesia1. Once swallowed, the balloon is filled and remains in the stomach for approximately 4 months, after which it self-empties and passes out naturally. It is proven to help patients lose an average of 10-15% of their body weight after approximately four months2. Studies show that on average, 96% of weight loss can be sustained 1 year after the balloon passes3.
To date, there have been more than 30 peer-reviewed studies conducted worldwide, demonstrating that the Allurion Balloon is a safe and effective way to lose weight4.
The first two patients to receive the treatment were treated at Somerset NHS Foundation Trust’s (FT) Musgrove Park Hospital in November, under the care of Professor Richard Welbourn, consultant bariatric surgeon at Somerset NHS Foundation Trust. A further three NHS placements are due to take place in early February, with up to a dozen others also scheduled to have this potentially life changing procedure.
Somerset FT has provided the Allurion Program to two patients. It is suitable for patients who are most in need, especially those seeking rapid, safe and effective weight loss, enabling them to reach a safe and suitable weight to undergo lifesaving surgery.
The Allurion Program has been shown to be particularly effective in patients with a higher body mass index (BMI). Patients with a starting BMI of 35-40 lose on average 15% of their body weight at 4 months5 while those with a starting BMI of over 40 can lose on average up to 20% of their body weight at 6 months6.
The first ever NHS placement of the Allurion Balloon follows recent reports that obesity currently costs the NHS £100 billion a year, with this figure expected to grow by another £10 billion over the next 15 years7. The Allurion Balloon - which can be placed in a 15-minute doctor’s visit - is expected to save the NHS significant time and money as the treatment is substantially less expensive than bariatric surgery. It is expected that the Allurion Balloon’s non-invasive approach also means patients can be in and out of hospital within the hour, freeing up much needed operation rooms, surgical teams, and patient beds.
The swallowable balloon is just part of the Allurion Program experience. During the time the balloon is in the stomach, it provides a sense of fullness and satiety whilst the patient undertakes a wellness journey using Allurion’s proprietary behaviour change program that helps ensure the weight stays off, even when the balloon has gone. This wellness journey includes the use of an innovative suite of AI-powered software - so that progress is monitored and interventions are made as necessary to ensure optimum results - as well as 1-1 support from doctors and nutritionists to help patients modify their lifestyle and change their behaviour.
Dr. Shantanu Gaur, founder and CEO of Allurion says, "We are thrilled to be partnering with the NHS for the first time to deliver the Allurion Program. According to the NHS, it is estimated that around one in four (25%) of adults in the UK have obesity8, and without scalable, evidence-based weight solutions, I believe the obesity epidemic will continue to worsen. Leveraging the Allurion Balloon—which can be swallowed in a simple outpatient visit and typically does not require any procedures for removal—the NHS now has a weight loss solution that does not tap into surgical or endoscopic resources that are already overbooked and constrained. We are looking forward to expanding this partnership and benefiting many more NHS patients in the months and years to come."
This exciting new partnership between Allurion and the NHS provides great hope for thousands of Brits who struggle to lose weight alone but do not like the idea of taking drugs or experiencing the unpleasant side effects and weekly injections. In fact, one recent study showed that 68% of people who start GLP-1 anti-obesity medications are likely to stop after only one year9. Unlike these approaches, the Allurion Balloon is designed to be truly non-invasive and is delivered as part of a program that focuses on changing behaviour and lifestyle, to drive long-lasting results.
This new partnership between Allurion and the NHS addresses comments made by Henry Dimbleby, the government's former food advisor, on the December 2023 reports on the impact of obesity in the UK7. He believes the country needs strategies other than medication to tackle obesity. He claims that excess weight in the UK is set to leave Britain “a sick and impoverished nation”.
Professor Richard Welbourn 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 Program will lose 10-15% of their weight in four months, which improves quality of life and makes patients healthier.”
1 In rare cases, the Allurion Balloon may require endoscopic or surgical intervention for removal.
2 Ienca, R et al. Obesity surgery vol. 30,9 (2020): 3354-3362
3 Ienca R. et al. Presented at the EASO Congress, 2022
4 Please find all our clinical data in the Allurion Literature PowerPoint Presentation
5 Ienca et al. presented at TOS Obesity Week, 2020
6 Raftopoulos Y and Rajkumar S. Presented at ASMBS, 2023.
7 December 2023 analysis Commissioned by the Tony Blair Institute and published in The Times
8 https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/obesity/
9 https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/most-patients-using-weight-loss-drugs-like-wegovy-stop-within-year-data-show-2023-07-11/
About Allurion
Allurion is dedicated to ending obesity. The Allurion Program is a weight loss platform that features the Allurion Gastric Balloon, the world’s first and only swallowable, procedure-less intragastric balloon for weight loss, and offers access to the Allurion Virtual Care Suite including the Allurion Mobile App for consumers, Allurion Insights for health care providers featuring the Iris AI Platform, and the Allurion Connected Scale. The Allurion Virtual Care Suite is also available to providers separately from the Allurion Program to help customize, monitor and manage weight loss therapy for patients regardless of their treatment plan: gastric balloon, surgical, medical or nutritional. The Allurion Gastric Balloon is an investigational device in the United States.
For more information about Allurion and the Allurion Virtual Care Suite, please visit www.allurion.com.
Allurion is a trademark of Allurion Technologies, Inc. in the United States and countries around the world.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release may contain certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. federal and state securities laws. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words “believe,” “project,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “intend,” “strategy,” “future,” “opportunity,” “plan,” “target,” “may,” “should,” “will,” “would,” “will be,” “will continue,” “will likely result,” and similar expressions and include statements regarding time and costs savings resulting from use of the Allurion Program; and future funding of balloon placements by, and expansion of the partnership with, NHS. Forward-looking statements are predictions, projections and other statements about future events that reflect the current beliefs and assumptions of Allurion’s management based on information currently available to them and, as a result, are subject to risks and uncertainties. Many factors could cause actual future results or developments to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this press release, including but not limited to (i) the ability of Allurion to obtain regulatory approval for and successfully commercialize the Allurion Program, (ii) the timing of and results from its clinical studies and trials, (iii) the evolution of the markets in which Allurion competes and the rise of GLP-1 drugs, (iv) the ability of Allurion to defend its intellectual property and satisfy regulatory requirements, (v) the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Russia-Ukraine war and Israel-Hamas war on Allurion’s business, (vi) Allurion’s expectations regarding its market opportunities and (vii) the risk of economic downturns and a changing regulatory landscape in the highly competitive industry in which Allurion operates. The foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. You should carefully consider the foregoing factors and the other risks and uncertainties described in the “Risk Factors” section of the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q on November 14, 2023, and other documents filed by Allurion from time to time with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. These filings identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and Allurion assumes no obligation and does not intend to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Allurion does not give any assurance that it will achieve its expectations.
