Business Week: Fat Surgery Urged for Obese Kids May Boost Allergan Profits

A device made by Allergan Inc. this year may become the first gastric band cleared by U.S. regulators to be sold to children as young as 14. For Allergan, the approval may open an avenue to as many as 2 million new customers…

Food and Drug Administration approval would limit Allergan’s legal liability, said Ken Cacciatore, an analyst for Cowen & Co. in New York. It may also push insurers to help pay for the procedures, which can cost as much as $25,000, according to Allergan’s Web site.