J&J to withdraw acid reflux device from certain markets outside US

(Reuters) -Johnson & Johnson said on Tuesday it will withdraw a device to treat acid reflux disease from certain markets outside the United States, citing commercial reasons.

The company has decided to withdraw the product, called LINX Reflux Management System, in certain countries "following a thorough evaluation of market conditions and ability to effectively serve each market," a J&J spokesperson said.

There is no change in the safety or efficacy of the device, the spokesperson said.

The company did not immediately specify which countries it plans to exit.

Bloomberg News reported earlier in the day J&J would withdraw the device from markets outside the U.S. from the end of March, citing a company letter sent to doctors.

The device is approved for patients with chronic gastroesophageal reflux disease, a condition in which the stomach contents leak backward from the stomach into the food pipe.

LINX is a flexible ring of small magnets placed around a band of muscles located at the base of the esophagus to help keep them closed to prevent reflux, according to the company.

(Reporting by Mariam Sunny in Bengaluru; Editing by Savio D'Souza, Leroy Leo and Krishna Chandra Eluri)