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FIRST-OF-A-KIND ANTI-OBESITY IMPLANT WINS FDA APPROVAL

Maestro Rechargeable System Approved for Anti-Obesity Mission

A device that works by obstructing signals between the stomach and the brain has been approved by the FDA for people who are very obese and also suffer from a weight-related disease such as diabetes. The device, known as the Maestro Rechargeable System from EnteroMedics goes on sale in the US sometime later this year. The device leads to moderate weight loss in the order of nine percent, so not quite the magic cure for obesity, but still worthwhile. Some experts such as Nick Finer of University College Hospital, London believe many people would benefit more from having a gastric bypass. Others, such as obesity surgeon Scott Shikora, speaking on behalf of EnteroMedics, say many people don’t like the idea of having their intestines reworked. He added, “A lot of patients don’t want the operations we are currently performing because they view them as being too risky or too radical.”

The Maestro system blocks signals that travel along the vagus nerve, which is an important link between the brain and other major organs. The device’s electrodes are attached around the section of the nerve that connects to the stomach. Blocking this signal pathway lessens stomach expansion and contraction. The secretion of digestive enzymes is also reduced, with an overall result that people don’t feel as hungry as before. Other medical conditions are also being treated by systems that stimulate the vagus nerve, including tinnitus and rheumatoid arthritis.

FIRST-OF-A-KIND ANTI-OBESITY IMPLANT WINS FDA APPROVAL

Details

  • 2800 Patton Road, Saint Paul, MN 55113, United States
  • EnteroMedics