FDA approves new hydrogel capsule for weight loss

Weight management has always been a challenging area for scientists, industry, and consumers. According to WHO in 2016, a whopping 1.9 billion adults, 18 years and older, were overweight. Of these over 650 million were obese. With regard to the industry, nutritional weight loss and weight management are regarded as a multi-billion market worldwide.

US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has taken weight management one step further by approving a new drug called PLENITY ^TM manufactured by the Gelesis forIt is an oral, non-systemic, superabsorbent hydrogel capsule which when taken together with diet and exercises aids in weight loss by inducing satiety and reducing hunger.

The drug can be administered in the form of capsules that could be taken with water before dinner and lunch. It is made of two naturally derived compounds called cellulose and citric acid which are crosslinked together in a manner that they create a three-dimensional matrix.

The hydrogel-based capsule releases thousands of non-aggregating gel-like particles that rapidly absorbs water in the stomach. Theses small gel-like particles have an elasticity of plant-based foods but they do not have any caloric value. These gel particles increase the elasticity of the contents stored in the stomach and intestine giving out a feeling of fullness that aids in weight loss.

The clinical studies of PLENITY have shown positive effects on weight management along with high safety and tolerability profile. Data of Gelesis Loss Of Weigh or GLOW study were recently published in the journal Obesity.

The prototype of the of this drug has been studied extensively in the US. The clinical studies revealed that PLENITY, when taken with a balanced diet and exercise, helps to include weight loss through increased satiety and fullness and reduced hunger. Moreover, 20% of adults who completed the PLENITY trial achieved approximately 14% weight loss or around 30 pounds.