The Economic Benefits of Type 2 Diabetes Reversal

Last week was a big week for us at Virta, and more importantly, for the nearly 30 million people living with type 2 diabetes in the United States. We announced the publication of our 1-year clinical trial results, and for our current and future patients, they are a revelation.

Type 2 diabetes was reversed in 60% of patients, and trial retention remained high at 83%. Of those individuals taking insulin, 94% reduced usage or eliminated it completely. Across our population, we reduced diabetes medication by nearly 50%. We even saw substantial improvement in other chronic conditions, including obesity, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease and inflammation.

It is an understatement to say that these are profound outcomes for those battling chronic disease, but they are equally significant for healthcare payers. The total economic burden of diagnosed type 2 diabetes alone in the United States is now near $300 billion. It is no surprise, then, as I talk to organizations across the country, the most common concern I hear is the unsustainable growth of diabetes-related medical expenses. Human resources and health plan leads are clamoring for solutions with high levels of engagement, proven clinical outcomes, and documented cost savings.

At Virta, we believe we have this solution. The uptake, safety, efficacy, and durability of the Virta Treatment, combined with an overall reduction in medication usage and utilization of our health system, make it a win-win for both the individual and the enterprise payer.

How big of a win?

In our own internal cost savings analysis, we estimate average employer savings of nearly $10,000 in the first 24 months for each person living with type 2 diabetes who enrolls in the Virta Treatment.

These findings align with the published reduction in diabetes medication usage from our 70-day (McKenzie et al. 2017) and 1-year (Hallberg et al. 2018) manuscripts.

Our company is and always will be mission-driven. Today that mission is to consistently deliver the best possible treatment for patients to reverse type 2 diabetes in 100 million people by 2025. At the same time, we hope to deliver game-changing economic impact to the entire US healthcare system, from patients to employers to health plans.

If you are an HR leader, or are in leadership at a health insurance carrier, and would like to learn more about the economic benefits of deploying the Virta Treatment in your population, feel free to contact me directly to set up time to talk.

‍Dr. Sarah Hallberg on the one-year results of the Virta Treatment: