A DAILY weight loss pill is a safer alternative to gastric bypass surgery, makers say.
The tablet does the same job by making people feel full for longer.
Its developers say the treatment is a better way to than or , which can trigger severe .
A pilot human trial on nine patients indicated the pill was safe to use and reduced hunger signals.
It contains a chemical called polydopamine that reacts with an enzyme in the gut to create a lining which moves digestion to an area where fullness hormones are triggered.
The mucosal membrane is then naturally excreted by the body each day. disconnects the stomach from the small intestine and reattaches it lower down to achieve the same effect.
It is effective but only a few thousand patients have the operation each year on the NHS.
The Synt-101 pill was developed by US company Syntis Bio.
Chief executive Rahul Dhanda told the European Congress on in : “The dream is to have this be the go-to drug for management.
“The obvious benefit over gastric bypass surgery is you could avoid an invasive procedure and take a daily pill instead.
“Plus a gastric bypass is irreversible whereas you can stop this when you no longer want it.
“This integrates with the mucosal membrane which is naturally excreted by the body. You take the pill once a day in the morning and it should be cleared by the next day.”;;
Mr Dhanda said the pill could also be taken by patients who have come off GLP-1 weight loss injections, such as .
He said: “The problem with GLP-1s is they are not very tolerable.
“An oral pill is the rational choice because it’s simple, tolerable and safe.
“I anticipate the side-effects to be minimal to none.”;;
