Update on the EndoBarrier post.  How soon will this be approved?  Soon may be years!! Eric

GI Dynamics, a leader in non-surgical, endoscopic approaches for treating type 2 diabetes and obesity, announced the presentation of new preclinical data for its EndoBarrier™ Technology. The study highlights the enhanced weight loss effects of combining the EndoBarrier Gastrointestinal Liner with a new EndoBarrier Flow Restrictor. The EndoBarrier Flow Restrictor provides an adjustable restriction at the outlet of the stomach and is designed to delay gastric emptying.

Previous studies have demonstrated the dramatic weight loss and diabetes improvement achieved with the EndoBarrier Gastrointestinal Liner. This latest data suggest that the combination of the EndoBarrier Gastrointestinal Liner with the EndoBarrier Flow Restrictor could enhance the effectiveness of the liner by nearly doubling the amount of weight-loss achieved by using the liner alone. These preclinical data were presented by study investigator Keith Gersin, M.D., FACS, Chief of Bariatric Surgery at Carolinas Medical Center, and a member of GI Dynamics' Scientific Advisory Board, during the Emerging Technology Session at the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES) 2009 Annual Meeting in Phoenix, Arizona, on April 25, 2009 at 9:30 a.m. (MST).

"These findings support what we have seen to date in other preclinical studies with both devices individually, confirming that combining the EndoBarrier Gastrointestinal Liner with the EndoBarrier Flow Restrictor have an enhanced effect on weight loss," said Dr. Gersin. "In clinical studies of the EndoBarrier alone, we have seen a substantial effect on weight loss and resolution of type 2 diabetes, and we anticipate we will see enhanced weight loss with the combination of these two devices in human clinical trials."