ReShape Lifesciences has received a Notice of Allowance from the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for patent application 16/792,094, entitled, “Systems and Methods for Determining Failure of Intragastric Devices,” related to its Obalon Balloon System. The patent will cover additional claims for the Obalon System and is expected to provide protection into at least January 2031, without accounting for a potential Patent Term Extension (PTE).
The Obalon Balloon System is a non-surgical, fully-reversible device for weight loss. The system is a swallowable intragastric balloon system indicated for temporary use to facilitate weight loss in adults with obesity (BMI30-40) who have failed to lose weight through diet and exercise. It is intended to be used as an adjunct to a moderate intensity diet and behaviour modification programme.
The Obalon balloon system consists of a balloon folded inside a capsule that is swallowed by the patient, with no sedation or anaesthesia required. Once the balloon reaches the stomach, it is remotely inflated with gas via a micro-catheter that is then removed, leaving a lightweight, buoyant balloon in the stomach.
“Allowance of this patent significantly strengthens our intellectual property portfolio around innovations for the Obalon Intragastric Balloon System,” stated Paul F Hickey, President and Chief Executive Officer of ReShape Lifesciences. “Since filing our first patent application in 2011, ReShape has pioneered the field, amassing a patent family around the intragastric balloon system, supported by a variety of novel, pending and protected inventions. Going forward, we will continue to build a defensive ‘moat’ around our product portfolio and commercialisation efforts, while also taking offensive action to defend our patent position, when necessary.”