Allurion Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: ALUR), a company focused on ending obesity, has received notification from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for two new patents that will strengthen its proprietary balloon technology for weight loss treatment. The patents, scheduled to issue on March 11, 2025, represent significant advancements in the company's non-invasive approach to obesity management.
The USPTO issued notifications dated February 19, 2025, for U.S. Patent No. 12,246,163 titled "Automatic-Sealing Balloon-Filling Catheter System" and U.S. Patent No. 12,245,962 titled "Balloon Sealing and Fill Valve." These patents provide additional claims for an enhanced, next-generation version of Allurion's proprietary balloon technology, featuring an improved valve system for balloon filling and an innovative mechanism that controls balloon opening.
These intellectual property assets are expected to provide protection through April 2043, significantly extending Allurion's market exclusivity. With these additions, the company's patent portfolio now includes 22 patents issued in the United States and 64 patents issued globally.
The Allurion Program for Weight Loss
The Allurion Program represents a comprehensive weight-loss platform that combines the Allurion Gastric Balloon—the world's first and only swallowable, procedure-less™ gastric balloon—with the Allurion Virtual Care Suite. This digital component includes the Allurion Mobile App and Connected Scale for consumers, as well as Allurion Insights for healthcare providers, which features the Iris AI Platform.
Clinical data indicates that patients on the Allurion Program typically lose 10-15% of their total body weight. Some studies have demonstrated that patients can also increase their muscle mass during treatment, a notable advantage over many traditional weight loss approaches.
Strategic Expansion of Intellectual Property
Shantanu Gaur, Allurion's Founder and CEO, emphasized the strategic importance of these patent issuances: "With the issuance of these two patents, we now have amassed 22 issued patents in the U.S. and 64 issued patents globally. As we embark on new clinical trials that seek to combine the Allurion Balloon with GLP-1 therapy, we intend to continuously enhance the design and manufacture of the Allurion Balloon and move toward a new gold standard for the treatment of obesity."
The company's comments suggest a forward-looking strategy that may involve combining their balloon technology with GLP-1 receptor agonists, a class of medications that has shown significant efficacy in weight management. This potential combination therapy could address the growing obesity epidemic through a multi-modal approach.
Market Implications
Obesity remains a significant global health challenge, with over 650 million adults worldwide classified as obese according to the World Health Organization. The economic burden of obesity-related healthcare costs continues to rise, creating demand for effective, non-surgical interventions.
Allurion's expanding patent portfolio positions the company to capitalize on the growing market for minimally invasive weight loss solutions. The procedure-less nature of their gastric balloon technology offers advantages over traditional surgical approaches, potentially broadening the accessibility of effective obesity treatments.
As the company continues to innovate and protect its intellectual property, these latest patent issuances represent important milestones in Allurion's mission to end obesity through technological advancement and comprehensive care solutions.
