January 13, Gelesis announced the completion of its business combination with Capstar Special Purpose Acquisition Corp. (NYSE: CPSR) (“Capstar”). The publicly traded company will be known as Gelesis Holdings, Inc. (“Gelesis” or “the Company”) and will commence trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol “GLS” on January 14, 2022.
Both Gelesis Inc. and Capstar shareholders voted to approve the business combination. The transaction generated approximately $105 million in gross proceeds, which will be mainly used to support the broad launch of Plenity.
“We have developed the science and support to help make a difference in the lives of millions of Americans who struggle with their weight, many of whom have never had a prescription option before,” said Yishai Zohar, founder and CEO of Gelesis. “The closing of this transaction allows us to accelerate our efforts to bring forward this innovative and FDA cleared solution to help people achieve their weight goals. Approximately 71 million Americans gained weight during the pandemic and 51% of all Americans wanted to lose weight this past year. We are proud to have taken Plenity from inception and to now be in the position to make it more broadly available for them. We look forward to executing on our plans and delivering value for our shareholders.”
Plenity is transforming weight management with a clinically proven approach inspired by raw vegetables. Plenity is designed to help people feel satisfied with smaller portions so they can eat less and lose weight, while enjoying foods they love as part of a reduced calorie diet. It is FDA-cleared to aid in weight management in adults with excess weight or obesity, as defined by a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 25 to 40 kg/m2, when used in conjunction with diet and exercise. It is taken orally as three capsules with 16 ounces of water twice a day, 20 minutes before lunch and dinner. If a dose is missed, it can be taken with the meal or immediately after. Plenity is not a drug; it is non-systemic and not habit forming. Plenity instead uses a novel biomimetic approach inspired by the composition and mechanical properties of vegetables that makes adults feel fuller faster and longer with smaller portions. In clinical trials, 6 out of 10 adults had clinically meaningful weight loss (on average they lost 22 pounds) and the safety profile was similar to placebo.
Further information can be found in the original press release：
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220113005936/en/Gelesis%C2%AE-the-Maker-of-Plenity%C2%AE-for-Weight-Management-Will-Debut-as-a-Publicly-Traded-Company-Following-the-Closing-of-Its-Business-Combination-with-Capstar