Apollo Endosurgery sold its surgical product line, including the Lap-Band adjustable gastric banding system and other accessories for laparoscopic bariatric surgery, to ReShape Lifesciences for $17m plus other considerations, including the ReShape endoscopic balloon, the companies announced Dec. 18. The deal will allow Apollo to focus on endo-bariatric procedures while it gives ReShape an instant revenue stream and another product to sell to surgeons, its core customers.

The global market for minimally invasive weight loss devices is expected to grow to $290m by 2021, a CAGR of 16%, driven in large part by the rising obesity epidemic and associated Type 2 diabetes. Meddevicetracker expects that enhancements and innovations, particularly in the growing intragastric balloon market, and emerging technologies by smaller companies, will lead the growth in the overall weight loss devices market. In this feature, we'll take a closer look at the overall market and regional landscape and take a deep dive into the fastest-growing intragastric balloon segment, providing key insights from a bariatric surgeon on the pros and cons of these technologies.

Apollo Endosurgery and Reshape Medical are both defending their products’ safety in the wake of a US FDA letter warning of five deaths tied to the companies' intragastric balloon devices.