Scientists have developed a weight loss pill that releases a gastric balloon into a patient's stomach to make them feel full.
Clinical trials of the product known as Obalon, in UK and in the US, showed that patients can lose an average of 7.7kg in 12 weeks, researchers claim.
While other gastric balloons treatments require invasive surgery, the new 10-minute treatment launched in the UK requires patients to swallow a capsule the size of a large vitamin pill which contains a deflated balloon.
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The capsule is attached to a micro-catheter and, once the capsule arrives in the stomach, the balloon is inflated to the size of an apple. The capsule dissolves and the catheter is removed via the mouth.
The balloon sits on top of the stomach, giving patients the sensation of fullness with the hope they then eat less and lose weight, 'mirror.Co.Uk' reported.
Patients receive a second balloon 30 days after the first procedure and have the option of a third balloon after around 60 days, based on their weight loss and feelings of fullness.
At the end of the treatment plan, which can take several months, the balloons are deflated and removed during an outpatient endoscopy which sees a long, flexible tube inserted into the throat, without the need for general anaesthetic.
Obalon costs 2,995 pounds for a two-balloon treatment. The treatment is more short-term than other gastric procedures and is recommended for people whose body mass index is 27 or over.
Clinical trials of the treatment also showed that around 7 per cent of patients had some side-effects including vomiting, cramps and reflux, which generally subsided in a day or so.
