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Study: Novel hydrogel increased post-meal satiety in one dose
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American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists 19th Annual Meeting
BOSTON — In a small study conducted in Italy, a superabsorbent hydrogel was found to increase participants’ feeling of satiety when administered before a meal, according to the lead study researcher.
The oral capsule, which carries the brand name Attiva, is composed entirely of food matter, according to Eric Elenko, PhD, a company representative.
In the trial of 95 patients (73 women), participants were given one capsule and drank water 30 minutes prior breakfast, lunch and dinner, according to Hassan M. Heshmati, MD, who presented the data here during a press conference hosted by the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists.
Included in the study were 21 patients with normal BMI, 22 patients who were overweight and 52 who were classified as obese, according to the researchers. The single capsule or placebo was administered before breakfast, lunch and dinner with a three-day washout period between each administration. A questionnaire was used to assess the feeling of satiety and hunger, Heshmati said.
“Results show that Attiva adminstration caused an increase of satiety after most meals with different time points either 30 or 60 minutes after the meal. This is what we call the ‘first meal effect.’ We also noticed that the administration of Attiva before lunch was causing a decrease in the feeling of hunger before dinner," Heshmati said. "This is what we call the ‘second meal effect.’”
Heshmati also noted during the press conference that the safety of the product was good.
“If the results of these assessments are confirmed with chronic administration in humans, Attiva can be novel anti-obesity tool,” Heshmati said. He said that studies that evaluate chronic administration in obese patients with the endpoint of weight reduction are the next step in the evaluation of this product.
Elenko compared Attiva and bariatric surgery which both have the intention of reducing stomach volume “as a mechanism to have people eat less.” The difference is that “Attiva is completely noninvasive,” Elenko noted.
Attiva is being developed by Gelesis. According to information supplied by the company, the small particles within the capsule “are designed to swell after ingestion with water and occupy the gastric and intestinal cavities, inducing a feeling of satiety that lasts beyond its transit time in the stomach.” – by Joan-Marie Stiglich
For more information:
- Heshmati HM. Abstract #605. Presented at: American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists 19th Annual Meeting and Clinical Congress; April 21-25, 2010; Boston.
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