Expanding chronic disease reversal beyond type 2 diabetes

Since 2015, we’ve been on a mission to reverse type 2 diabetes in 100M people and, in 2020, we have grown faster than ever, both in the number of patients treated and commercial customers served. That said, Virta does not exist for the sake of growth; instead, we are driven by our collective desire to save as many lives as quickly as we can.

Today, to scale our positive impact even faster, we made an exciting announcement—we’ve expanded our reversal treatment options beyond type 2 diabetes. This includes treatments for prediabetes reversal and obesity, as well as provider-led management for diabetes, which provides a guided path towards reversal for anyone living with type 2 diabetes. With this expansion, we now offer our partners—employers, health plans, and government agencies—the ability to address the full continuum of chronic metabolic diseases through a single virtual clinic.

The stakes have never been higher. Over half of US adults have prediabetes, type 2 diabetes, or are obese. COVID-19 has taken this drastic situation and made it unfathomably worse. Those with diabetes are 2x more likely to die if infected. Sadly, prevailing solutions, from cheaper drugs to fad diets, haven’t done anything to improve patient outcomes.

Our commercial partners feel this pain, too, and have expressed frustration and powerlessness over their rising costs and inability to help their covered beneficiaries thrive. It’s not for lack of options, however. These same partners have dozens of diabetes solutions. The problem is that none of them are making any difference

It’s not surprising, then, that we frequently get asked if the types of results our patients see in type 2 diabetes—sustained diabetes reversal in the majority of patients at two years, including 81% average reduction in insulin requirements— can be replicated in other conditions. In a word: yes, and we already have peer-reviewed and commercial results to demonstrate that success.

For example, our patients experience sustained double-digit percent weight loss, too. To put this in context, if Virta were a weight-loss drug, we’d be immediately approved by the FDA. We exceed their target, and that of the National Diabetes Prevention Program (the gold standard in measurement and outcomes for prediabetes), by nearly 150%.

Soon we’ll be releasing additional data on the Virta Treatment’s role in reversing prediabetes progression to type 2 diabetes. These results are similarly unmatched, and we’re excited to share more. In the meantime, patient stores like those of Candy and Jami show what is possible.

Where does provider-led type 2 diabetes management fit in? As always, it starts with outcomes. Our provider-led Continuous Remote Care allows us to achieve better blood sugar control and clinical outcomes, and provides patients an on-ramp to start their reversal treatment once ready. COVID-19 has shown the world the importance of blood sugar control. This is where Virta shines, and we can help.

If our patients have taught us anything, it is that each person’s metabolic journey is unique. This is why we’ve built high-degrees of individualization into everything we do. These new clinical services are no different and our approach allows us to meet patients wherever they are on their personal journey to better health, while offering what truly matters—life-altering health improvement.

Our mission—to reverse type 2 diabetes in 100M people—continues to be our guiding light. With this expansion, we can grow our impact and achieve this goal even faster. Whether it is reversing fully-developed type 2 diabetes or prediabetes, we are doing everything we can to bring transformed health to the millions of people who need and deserve it.