GI Dynamics has designated the Epworth Centre for Bariatric Surgery (ECBS) in Victoria as the first Center of Excellence (CoE) for the EndoBarrier Gastrointestinal Liner in Australia.
The designated centre in Australia is expected to treat the first EndoBarrier patients in the first half of this year.
The EndoBarrier is a thin, flexible, tube-shaped liner that forms a physical barrier between food and part of the wall of the intestine.
It has been clinically proven to lower HbA1c levels, achieve weight loss of more than 20% and improve other important metabolic functions including cholesterol, blood pressure and triglycerides, all of which contribute to the severity of type 2 diabetes1.
The device had already received approval from the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) last year for sale in Australia.
GI Dynamics president and CEO Stuart Randle said Epworth Centre for Bariatric Surgery’s team is well-suited to provide optimal EndoBarrier treatment for people living with type 2 diabetes and weight problems.
"Over the next several weeks we will complete our training efforts at ECBS, and they will then begin initiating patient screening and selection," Randle said.
GI Dynamics said the EndoBarrier is currently available in select markets in Europe and in Chile.