Hyderabad, Sep 9: 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: to 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.
Tackling obesity in India
The recent National Family Health Survey (2019-21) found that obesity in India has increased from 21% to 24% among women and 19% to 23% among men between 2016 and 2021. Unhealthy food habits, increasingly sedentary lifestyles and a lack of safe and effective treatments all have contributed to an increase in obesity, which can lead to serious consequences such as diabetes and heart disease.
The Allurion Program is suited for people who are unable to achieve their weight-loss goals by dieting alone or for those who do not want to, or cannot, undergo invasive surgery or endoscopy*. It may also be suitable as a treatment for weight-related co-morbidities including diabetes, infertility, or cardiovascular disease.
In just a 15-minute clinic visit, the patient swallows the Allurion Swallowable Capsule a safe and temporary vegan capsule that contains a deflated gastric balloon. Once in the stomach, a healthcare professional uses a catheter to inflate the balloon with 550ml of liquid – no surgery, endoscopy or anesthesia is required. A simple X-ray is used to ensure the balloon is in the right position. After placement, the balloon roughly the size of a grapefruit – takes up space in the patient’s stomach, creating a feeling of fullness and reducing food intake. The balloon reduces feelings of hunger, and in approximately 16 weeks, it automatically deflates and passes out of the body naturally.
Allurion is a global brand with a presence in over 58 countries. The Allurion Program has treated more than 100,000 patients and in partnership with 600 clinics worldwide, Allurion patients have collectively shed more than one million kilos.
“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’s Virtual Care Suite, which integrates the Allurion Mobile App, Connected Scale, and Health Tracker into a single “digital umbrella” to provide remote patient monitoring, telehealth 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 Program can lead to 2.5 times more weight loss compared to diet or 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 Mohak Bariatrics 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.”
