GI Dynamics (ASX:GID) said this week that its Endobarrier weight loss device is comparable to gastric bypass surgery in terms of glucose metabolism in obese patients with Type II diabetes. The findings were presented at the American Gastroenterological Assn.’s annual Digestive Disease Week meeting in Washington.
The study was the 1st to compare improvement in glucose metabolism following gastric bypass surgery, Lexington, Mass.-based GI Dynamics said.
EndoBarrier has a significant impact on glucose metabolization at 1, 3 and 9 months of therapy, the company said, noting that improvements to glucose metabolism can decrease patients’ reliance on medication.
The device is designed to mimic the duodenal-jejunal exclusion created by gastric bypass surgery, according to GI Dynamics.
"It is interesting to observe how EndoBarrier treatment compares to bariatric surgery when administered at the same clinical center in the hands of independent researchers. This is another important milestone that manifests the potential for device intervention while avoiding the alteration of anatomy by surgery," chief medical officer Dr. David Maggs said in a prepared statement.
In March, the FDA shut down enrollment in a clinical trial for Endobarrier after 4 patients developed bacterial liver infections known as hepatic abscesses, causing shares of the company to plummet 50%.
