Virta Health announced today that its diabetes reversal treatment demonstrated improvements in those with type 2 diabetes.
San Francisco-based Virta Health launched in 2017 with the goal of reversing Type 2 diabetes using its technology platform to enable personalized remote care. Virta’s offerings include physician supervision, health coaches, an app and biomarker tracking tools, as well as a personalized nutrition plan for its patients in the hopes of reversing Type 2 diabetes.
Five-year data presented at the American Diabetes Association (ADA) 82nd Scientific Sessions in New Orleans showed lasting improvements in those with type 2 diabetes and prediabetes, including blood sugar control, clinically significant weight loss, reduced inflammation and improvements in other cardiometabolic health markers, according to a news release.
One-fifth of Virta patients completing five years of treatment experienced full remission (A1c <6.5% without any diabetes medications for at least 3 months). A third of patients achieved A1c below 6.5% without any diabetes medications or only requiring Metformin. Inflammatory markers, triglycerides, and HDL cholesterol all improved significantly, Virta said.
Nearly 50% of participants with type 2 diabetes were retained at five years. Among those who continued past year two, 72% remained for an additional three years through to year five.
Virta patients experienced persistent improvements in blood sugar on average, while prescriptions were reduced by nearly 50% across all diabetes drugs at five years. The average weight loss among participants was a decrease of 7.6%, exceeding the 5% benchmark for clinically significant weight loss by more than 50%, while the decrease in inflammatory markers signaled the success in reversing the progression of chronic kidney disease.
“Virta’s patients are helping redefine what long-term success can look like in type 2 diabetes care,” Virta advisor Dr. Alan Moses said in the release. “The patient outcomes set a new standard for real-world applications of diabetes treatment.”
At ADA, Virta also presented data from a two-year study through a partnership with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The study demonstrated broad metabolic health improvements for Veteran patients, including long-term blood sugar reduction, clinically-significant weight loss, and medication deprescription.
Nearly two-thirds of veterans remained in treatment at two years, while patients who dropped out still saw notable improvements, including clinically-significant weight loss (5.6%) and a 50% reduction in prescribed diabetes medications.
