Boston, October 31, 2020 – Gelesis, a biotechnology company developing a novel hydrogel technology to treat overweight, obesity and other chronic metabolic diseases, today announced it will deliver poster presentations showcasing new data at ObesityWeek® 2020, the annual congress of The Obesity Society (TOS), and at The Liver Meeting, the American Association for the Study of Liver Disease’s (AASLD) annual conference. TOS’ ObesityWeek® is taking place Monday, November 2 through Friday, November 6, 2020. AASLD’s The Liver Meeting is taking place Friday, November 13 through Monday, November 16, 2020.
Data presentations include:
Plenity is an oral, non-systemic, superabsorbent hydrogel which has received FDA clearance as an aid in weight management in overweight and obese adults with a BMI of 25–40 kg/m2, when used in conjunction with diet and exercise. Gelesis has also received approval to market Plenity in the European Economic Area. Plenity is made by cross-linking two naturally derived building blocks, modified cellulose and citric acid, that create a three-dimensional matrix. Plenity particles rapidly absorb water in the stomach and homogenously mix with ingested foods. Rather than forming one large mass, it creates thousands of small individual gel pieces with the elasticity and firmness of solid plant-based foods (e.g., vegetables) without caloric value. The Plenity hydrogel increases the volume and elasticity of the stomach and small intestine contents and induces a feeling of fullness and satiety. Once it arrives in the large intestine, the hydrogel is partially broken down by enzymes and loses its three-dimensional structure along with most of its absorption capacity. The released water is reabsorbed in the large intestine, and the remaining cellulosic material is eliminated through the body’s natural digestive processes. Plenity is considered a medical device because it achieves its primary intended purpose through mechanical modes of action consistent with mechanobiology constructs. For more information, visit myplenity.com.
For the safe and proper use of Plenity, refer to the U.S. Instructions for Use or the EU Instructions for Use.
Gelesis is developing a novel hydrogel platform technology to treat overweight and obesity and chronic diseases related to the GI pathway. Gelesis’ proprietary approach is designed to act mechanically in the GI pathway to potentially alter the course of certain chronic diseases. In April 2019, Gelesis received FDA clearance for its lead product candidate, Plenity®, as an aid for weight management in overweight and obese adults with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 25-40 kg/m2, when used in conjunction with diet and exercise. It was also granted a CE Mark, which allows Gelesis to market Plenity in the European Economic Area. Plenity is currently available in limited release in the U.S. Additionally, Gelesis is developing its second investigational candidate, Gelesis200, a hydrogel optimized for weight loss and glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes and prediabetes. Novel hydrogel mechanotherapeutics based on the Gelesis platform technology are also being advanced in other GI inflammatory conditions, such as non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and functional constipation. For more information, visit gelesis.com or connect with us on Twitter @GelesisInc.
Katie Sullivan
+1 857 201 5309
ksullivan@gelesis.com