Patient-Friendly Explanation

Intragastric pharmacotherapy is a treatment approach that combines a gastric balloon with medication delivery directly into the stomach. The balloon helps you feel full sooner while the medicine works locally to support weight loss, offering a non-surgical option that can be placed and removed endoscopically.

Clinical Definition

Intragastric pharmacotherapy refers to an endoscopic intervention where a drug-eluting intragastric balloon is placed in the stomach for 6-12 months. The device combines mechanical gastric distension (volume restriction) with sustained local release of pharmacological agents — typically appetite modulators or metabolic enhancers — directly to the gastric mucosa, bypassing systemic absorption for targeted therapy.

Why It Matters

This emerging hybrid approach offers a bridge between medication-only treatment and invasive bariatric surgery. For patients who need more than oral medication but are not candidates for surgery, it provides a meaningful intermediate option with a favourable safety profile.