SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., Sept. 27, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Virta Health, the first company with a clinically-proven treatment to safely and sustainably reverse type 2 diabetes (T2D) without the use of medications or surgery, today announced the addition of key new executives to further the reach of the Virta Treatment.
Daniel Loreto, a senior engineering leader formerly at Airbnb and Twitter, and Divya Bhat, a senior product leader previously at DoorDash and Trulia, joined as Virta’s head of engineering and head of product, respectively. Both are MIT-trained computer scientists. The moves signal Virta’s intent to more deeply personalize treatment plans and improve health care provider tools that are central to its continuous remote care model in order to meet growing demand. Along with these additions, the Virta team has doubled in size since the start of 2018.
“Empowering our clinical team via technology is the foundation of our continuous remote care model, and will help us scale the Virta Treatment quickly to more patients,“ said Sami Inkinen, Virta co-founder and CEO. “Adding two new executives with strong backgrounds in data science and building solutions that enable on-the-ground workforces will ensure that we stay ahead of demand while delivering life-changing health outcomes.”
In the U.S. alone, nearly 115 million people have prediabetes or type 2 diabetes, creating a $327 billion economic burden. Virta takes a different approach to the growing epidemic, aiming to reverse, not just manage, existing conditions. Peer-reviewed results from Virta’s clinical trial have demonstrated diabetes reversal of 60 percent at one year, with 94 percent of insulin users reducing or eliminating medications.
Virta also helps payers save money. The quick and sustained results of the Virta Treatment help deliver fast ROI and an estimated $9,600 in savings the first 24 months for each person living with type 2 diabetes. Virta also puts its fees at risk if certain health outcomes are not met.
Virta’s outcomes have contributed to 300 percent growth in its employer customer base in 2018, and are helping Virta customers like Purdue University and Activision-Blizzard create a healthier employee population.
"We started working with Virta earlier in 2018, and already we're seeing it transform the health of our team members," said Milt Ezzard, vice president of global benefits at Activision-Blizzard. "We look for innovative solutions that can help now. Virta's approach to chronic disease is helping our employees remove medications, lose weight, and return to activities they haven't done in years."
Meanwhile, both Purdue and Activision-Blizzard have received industry-wide recognition for their work in curbing chronic disease. Candace Shaffer, director of benefits at Purdue, and Ezzard received two of the four Benny Awards given by Employee Benefits News at its annual Benefits Forum & Expo taking place this week in New Orleans.
For more information about Virta Health and the health and economic benefits of the Virta Treatment, visit www.virtahealth.com.
About Virta Health
Virta Health delivers the first clinically-proven treatment to safely and sustainably reverse type 2 diabetes and other chronic metabolic diseases without the use of medications or surgery. At one year, 60% of patients in our clinical trial achieved diabetes reversal, 94% of insulin users reduced or eliminated usage altogether and 83% of patients remained active in the trial. Results extended beyond diabetes reversal, with sustained improvements in blood pressure, inflammation, cardiovascular markers, insulin resistance and weight loss. For enterprises, Virta can save nearly $9,600 per patient in medical expenses over the first 24 months while tying treatment fees to successful outcomes. The Virta Treatment, delivered through a technology-enabled online clinic, will help millions of people get their lives back while making type 2 diabetes a thing of the past. To learn more, visit www.virtahealth.com or follow us on Twitter @virtahealth.
Media Contact:
Paul Sytsma
Virta Health
Email: press@virtahealth.com