Apollo Endosurgery (NSDQ:APEN) said late yesterday that the FDA approved the company’s move to terminate the Lap-Band lower body mass index post-approval study based on availability of long-term safety and effectiveness data on the device.
The trial was part of a bid for expanded indications, through which the FDA required the Austin, Texas-based company to conduct a prospective, multicenter, open-label, post-approval study to evaluate safety and effectiveness of the device in patients with BMIs between 30 and 39.9.
The study was slated to enroll 325 patients at 20 sites, with 181 subjects enrolled at 13 sites when it was terminated. Apollo said that with the early termination, it expects to save approximately $5.1 million, according to a press release.
Termination was approved based on the availability of long-term safety and effectiveness data on the Lap-Band in the lower BMI indications from existing published evidence. The company produced a final study report to the FDA which referenced 25 published studies exploring the use of the Lap-Band in lower BMI individuals.
Shares in Apollo Endosurgery have fallen 1.8% today, at $6.28 as of 10:34 a.m. EDT.
Earlier this month, Apollo Endosurgery saw shares fall after the medical device maker missed earnings per share expectations on Wall Street with its fourth quarter and full fiscal year 2017 earnings report.
