Ethicon purchases gastric band manufacturer:
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
Johnson & Johnson company Ethicon Endo-Surgery has acquired Obtech Medical, a privately-held Swiss company that markets the Swedish Adjustable Gastric Band (SAGB). The SAGB is an inflatable band that is fitted around the uppermost part of the stomach during laparoscopic surgery to create a small pouch and restrict food consumption. It has been a common treatment for morbid obesity in Europe since 1987, but is not yet available in the US. The American Society of Bariatric Surgery estimates that there are 11-15 million morbid obesity sufferers in the US. Experts expect the number of US weight-loss surgery procedures this year to increase by 67% to 100,000.