Medical device company Apollo Endosurgery Inc (Nasdaq:APEN) reported on Tuesday the first commercial shipments of the OverStitch Sx Endoscopic Suturing System to select gastroenterologists and bariatric surgeons in both the US and EU through the end of 2018.

This initial customer shipment is part of the company's first phase of the global product launch for Overstitch Sx. The full commercial launch is planned in the Q1 2019.

The company added the OverStitch Sx endoscopic suturing systems enable advanced endoscopic surgery by allowing physicians to place full-thickness sutures from a single-channel flexible endoscope. This new technology enables a secure approximation of tissue endoscopically and a wide range of less invasive solutions for physicians who treat defects in both the upper and lower GI tract of their patients. The physicians are leveraging endoscopic suturing to perform advanced bariatric procedures.

In addition, the flexible endoscopic suturing using the company's OverStitch Endoscopic Suturing System is now established as an important tool for both surgeons and gastroenterologists that enables a wide array of new endolumenally performed patient treatment options.

OverStitch Sx is designed for compatibility with single-channel endoscopes with diameters ranging from 8.8mm to 9.8mm, providing physicians with access to full-thickness flexible endoscopic suturing regardless of their hospital's selection of endoscopic capital equipment or endoscope manufacturer, the company added.