FDA's Lap-Band decision is a boon for Allergan
“Reporting from Los Angeles and Washington— Pharmaceutical giant Allergan Inc. stands to win big from the federal government's decision to make Lap-Band weight-loss surgery available to more overweight Americans.
The Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday cleared the way for marketing the procedure to patients who are significantly less obese than those who qualify now — a decision that would make an estimated 26.4 million more Americans eligible to consider the Irvine company's device. The approval also means that, according to company officials, 45.6 million Americans meet the criteria for Lap-Band surgery. That's more than 1 in 7.”