Item 8.01 Other Events.
On August 6, 2024, Allurion Technologies, Inc. (the “Company”) announced that the Agence Nationale de Sécurité du Médicament (“ANSM”), the French regulatory authority, has suspended sales of the Allurion Balloon in France, and the Company is withdrawing the device from the French market, pending implementation of a remediation plan to reduce certain risks associated with the advertising, follow-up program, and adverse events for the Allurion Balloon.
The safety and effectiveness of the Allurion Balloon has been well-established in 20 peer-reviewed journal articles and with over 150,000 patients treated commercially. The overall complication rates for the Allurion Balloon in France, as well as globally, remain in line with the rates reported in the published literature and lower than those published for other weight loss products. The Company believes the Allurion Balloon provides an important option for patients with obesity and stands behind the benefit/risk profile of the use of the Allurion Balloon under normal conditions.
Although the Company disagrees with ANSM’s decision, it is fully cooperating and in active dialogue with the agency in developing a remediation program prioritizing changes related to its advertising strategy, follow-up program and training programs to address ANSM’s concerns. The Company is committed to continuing its engagement with ANSM to identify a path that will enable the Company to resume the commercialization of the Allurion Balloon in France.
Forward-Looking Statements
This Current Report on Form 8-K contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. federal and state securities laws. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words “believe,” “project,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “intend,” “strategy,” “future,” “opportunity,” “plan,” “may,” “should,” “will,” “would,” “will be,” “will continue,” “will likely result,” and similar expressions and include statements regarding the Company’s expectations for engagement with ANSM, its plans to develop a remediation program and its ability to identify a path that will enable it to resume the commercialization of the Allurion Balloon. Forward-looking statements are predictions, projections and other statements about future events that reflect the current beliefs and assumptions of the Company’s management based on information currently available to them and, as a result, are subject to risks and uncertainties. Many factors could cause actual future results or developments to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this communication, including but not limited to (i) the ability of the Company to obtain and maintain regulatory approvals for and successfully commercialize its products and offerings, including the Allurion Balloon, (ii) the timing of, and results from, the Company’s clinical studies and trials, (iii) the evolution of the markets in which the Company competes, (iv) the ability of the Company to defend its intellectual property and satisfy regulatory requirements, (v) the impact of global economic conditions and geopolitical events on the Company’s business, (vi) the Company’s expectations regarding its market opportunities and (vii) the risk of economic downturns and a changing regulatory landscape in the highly competitive industry in which the Company operates. The foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. You should carefully consider the foregoing factors and the other risks and uncertainties described in the “Risk Factors” section of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on March 26, 2024 (as subsequently amended) and other documents filed by the Company from time to time with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. These filings identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and the Company assumes no obligation and does not intend to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. The Company does not give any assurance that it will achieve its expectations.