Virta Health Surpasses $160 Million in Annualized Revenue, Strengthens Position as a Leader in Metabolic Disease Reversal
Virta Health, a digital health company focused on reversing type 2 diabetes, obesity, and other metabolic conditions through a nutrition-first approach, announced that it has crossed $160 million in annualized revenue. This milestone highlights not only the company’s accelerating growth but also its widening role in reshaping the management of metabolic disease at scale.
The achievement comes alongside an 80% year-over-year revenue increase, a rapidly expanding member base, and improving profitability—making Virta one of the fastest-growing companies in digital health. The news underscores a shift in how patients, employers, health plans, and policymakers are approaching the long-term costs and sustainability challenges of metabolic disease care, particularly in comparison to the booming use of GLP-1 medications.
Meeting Rising Demand for Sustainable Alternatives to GLP-1s
The last two years have seen an unprecedented surge in demand for GLP-1 drugs, such as semaglutide-based therapies, which are widely prescribed for weight loss and diabetes management. While these medications have shown strong short-term results, concerns remain over long-term affordability, sustainability, and patient reliance.
Virta Health’s model offers an alternative by addressing the root causes of metabolic disease through personalized nutrition therapy, ongoing provider-led support, and lifestyle changes. By reducing dependence on pharmacological interventions, the company positions itself as a sustainable solution for both individuals and organizations facing rising healthcare costs.
Currently, Virta covers over 12 million U.S. lives and works with approximately 550 partners, including large employers, health plans, and both federal and state government programs. This reach enables the company to deliver scalable solutions while aligning with organizations that are seeking cost savings and predictable long-term outcomes.
CEO Perspective: Shifting from Symptom Management to True Reversal
Commenting on the company’s momentum, Sami Inkinen, co-founder and CEO of Virta Health, emphasized the transformational nature of the company’s approach.
We’re still in the early innings of solving the metabolic health crisis,” Inkinen said. “But we’ve proven that it’s possible to sustainably reverse diabetes and obesity at scale, and do it without lifetime medication. That’s what makes our model so powerful: better outcomes, lower costs, and a path to true health transformation, not just symptom management.
This vision reflects a broader movement in healthcare: shifting the paradigm from managing chronic diseases indefinitely with costly medications, to actually reversing them through interventions that are both scalable and sustainable.
New Data Validates Virta’s Nutrition-First Approach
Recent data highlights Virta’s ability to deliver results on par with GLP-1 medications—without the drawbacks of high drug costs or indefinite reliance.
- More than 75% of Virta’s weight loss members are not using GLP-1s.
- Reported one-year outcomes show average weight loss of 13% without pharmacological assistance.
- Among those considering or already using GLP-1s, nearly 70% opted for a nutrition-first approach rather than long-term drug use.
- Only 20% of current GLP-1 users expressed interest in staying on the drugs long term.
These findings illustrate that even among populations familiar with or open to GLP-1s, there is substantial demand for sustainable, drug-free solutions.
For patients who do choose to incorporate GLP-1s into their care, Virta offers continuous provider-led support to optimize results, manage side effects, and guide lifestyle changes. Importantly, for those who eventually taper off the drugs, Virta ensures that weight loss and clinical improvements are sustained through nutrition-focused care, reducing the likelihood of relapse.
Demonstrated Employer and Payer Value
Virta’s model is not only resonating with individuals but also with large-scale employers and payers who are grappling with soaring healthcare costs linked to chronic disease and drug spend.
One Fortune 100 client reported a 49% reduction in GLP-1 growth within just six months of combining Virta’s nutrition-first model with optimized prescribing. This approach helped curb drug cost inflation while simultaneously improving outcomes for covered members.
Such results highlight Virta’s unique ability to bend the cost curve for organizations while still meeting clinical goals. With GLP-1 spending projected to surpass $100 billion globally by 2030, Virta’s approach could play a pivotal role in shaping how employers and health systems manage this financial burden.
A Care Model Built for Scale, Sustainability, and Predictability
Virta’s rapid growth is fueled by a care model that is designed to balance scalability with personalized, measurable outcomes. Unlike traditional care approaches, the company has introduced industry-first guarantees that align its performance with client goals:
- 0% GLP-1 Utilization Trend – Virta helps clients eliminate unexpected drug cost inflation by keeping utilization growth flat.
- Guaranteed Weight Loss – The company aligns its success with measurable outcomes, offering clients assurance of meaningful results.
- 1:1 ROI Guarantee – Virta commits to delivering a return on investment through reduced costs and better outcomes, minimizing financial risk for employers and payers.
These guarantees reinforce Virta’s value-based care model, providing organizations with predictability in an otherwise volatile healthcare cost environment.
Broader Implications for the Digital Health Landscape
Virta’s trajectory comes at a critical time for the digital health sector, which has faced scrutiny over the last several years as funding cooled and many startups struggled to prove both scalability and profitability. Virta’s ability to grow revenue at a rapid clip, while maintaining improving profitability, positions it as an outlier in the space.
The company’s focus on evidence-based, outcomes-driven care is likely to resonate further with policymakers, payers, and health systems seeking alternatives to purely pharmaceutical approaches. Moreover, Virta’s success strengthens the case for digital health companies that can demonstrate long-term clinical outcomes tied to cost savings—a standard that investors and stakeholders are increasingly demanding.
The Future: Expanding Access and Redefining Standards of Care
Looking ahead, Virta Health is poised to expand its reach as the metabolic disease crisis continues to grow. In the United States alone, over 38 million people live with diabetes and more than 70% of adults are overweight or obese, driving immense costs and health system strain.
By offering a scalable, nutrition-first model that demonstrates real-world outcomes, Virta has the potential to set new standards for how chronic conditions are treated. Its impact extends beyond weight loss or blood sugar management—it represents a shift toward reversal and remission as achievable goals rather than lifelong disease management.
