J&J Subsidiary Invests $3.2M In Bariatric Surgery Studies
Ethicon, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, has invested $3.2 million into studying the effects of bariatric surgery on obesity and Type 2 diabetes. The funds will be allocated toward more than 20 clinical trials to be conducted in five countries. Data collected may lead to better access to bariatric and metabolic surgeries worldwide.
According to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) global figures, 1.9 billion people are overweight, and 600 million are obese, a figure that has nearly doubled since 1980. Obesity is a major risk factor for a number of health conditions, including cardiovascular disease, musculoskeletal disorders, and Type 2 diabetes.
The American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) reports that there were 179,000 bariatric procedures performed in the U.S. in 2013, a steady increase over previous years. However, the procedure remains controversial and is not without serious risk and potential long-term complications, and may not be appropriate for all patients.
In order better understand the benefits of bariatric surgery, Ethicon has launched “Time to Act on Obesity,” a program that seeks to untangle the complexity of the condition, whom it affects and why, as well as what solutions work best for which people.
To begin, Ethicon has invested $3.2 million in studying both the impact of obesity on different populations and the long-term benefits of bariatric surgery, the company reported in a press release. More than 2,000 participants from India, China, Brazil, France, and the United States will take part in over 20 clinical and investigator-initiated trials.
Through these trials, Ethicon aims to find out how economic conditions affect the prevalence of obesity, how the condition is related to diabetes in different populations, and how different governments respond to expanding clinical standards of care, including bariatric surgical options.
For example, patients in India tend to become diabetic with a much lower body mass index (BMI) than patients from other countries. Brazilians are open to bariatric surgery, but often are placed on long waiting lists while co-morbidities progress and rack up healthcare costs. As of right now, there is very little data to judge how Chinese patients respond long-term to bariatric surgery.
Elliot Fegelman, Ethicon’s medical director for obesity and metabolic disease, explained “The ultimate questions we’re always seeking to answer are: Who is the right patient, what is the right procedure, and is this the right time?”
According to Fegelman, regional nuances across the world require “different and distinctive solutions, and that’s what our investment will help deliver.”
Michael del Prado, Ethicon Company group chairman, said that better understanding and more careful study are required stem global obesity rates, which he views as a global pandemic.
“Ethicon will continue working to reverse the trajectory of obesity,” said del Prado, “by connecting the brightest clinical researchers and surgeons with our unparalleled science, economic insights and global reach to find long-term solutions.”