NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, Calibrate, the leading metabolic health company, released real-world patient outcomes demonstrating the effectiveness of combining GLP-1 medication and intensive lifestyle intervention (ILI) to treat obesity. The results, published in The Obesity Society and presented at the annual forum during Obesity Week 2022, showed patients in real-world settings on a GLP-1 drug regimen paired with ILI, achieved 14.8% average weight loss over a 12-month period. The study, which was spearheaded by industry-leading physicians Kim Boyd, M.D. and former World Obesity Federation President Donna Ryan, M.D., also found patients were able to sustain weight loss at 18 months.
Today, nearly 200 million adults in the US qualify for obesity treatment and fewer than 1% of qualifying adults receive it. Obesity physicians are not geographically distributed, leaving many populations that are most affected by obesity without access to care. The findings presented at the Obesity Society Annual Conference spotlight the far-reaching potential of commercial opportunities to provide medically-supervised treatment at scale by addressing geographic and economic inequities.
“Currently, 74 percent of American adults are living with obesity and overweight with a comorbidity, yet only two percent of qualifying adults receive appropriate obesity treatment. This is due to the shortage of obesity physicians across the country and a general lack of understanding about how this chronic condition works,” said Dr. Ryan. “Today’s research paves the way to change that. Not only does the study demonstrate that access to both medication and intensive lifestyle intervention are critical in achieving sustainable results, but it also underscores the important role scalable digital health programs play in making treatment accessible to patients with unmet needs. Programs that combine medication and ILI treatments allow patients to access the care they need and deserve.”
The study followed 1,175 patients enrolled in a commercial obesity treatment program, and showed the following metabolic health outcomes and improvements over the course of 12 to 18 months:
- The average weight loss for those completing 12-month programs was 14.8%.
- Patients who continued with the program showed sustained weight loss with 15.8% at 15 months and 16.5% at 18 months.
- Waist circumference decreased on average by 5.3 inches
- Improved HbA1C levels were observed in 77% of all patients and improvements to other lab values (HDL, LDL, Triglycerides, AST/ALT, HS CRP, and insulin) were seen in 50% to >70%, indicative of metabolic health improvements.
Obesity contributes to a wide range of chronic conditions, from diabetes and heart disease to several types of cancer. Through the creation of a digital program available in all 50 states and DC, Calibrate addresses a critical unmet need and improves access by treating obesity and metabolic health at scale.
“With the rise of new GLP-1 medications for the treatment of obesity and other chronic diseases, now more than ever we must ensure patients have access to comprehensive and holistic programs that allow them to take control of their health and achieve sustainable results,” said Kim Boyd, Chief Medical Officer at Calibrate.
The study utilized data collected from individuals who reached 12 months in Calibrate’s core program––the year-long Metabolic Reset––alongside data from a smaller subset, about 70 percent of the initial cohort, who continued treatment through 18 months. At enrollment, weight was verified on a connected scale and subsequent weights were submitted electronically or self-reported. In addition, researchers collected baseline and 12-month metabolic labs, and patients completed questionnaires at baseline, six months, and 12 months to self-report changes in food, sleep, exercise, and emotional health.
These results are unparalleled among peer programs, and demonstrate the value of accessible, holistic programs that treat obesity––a condition that was most often studied and treated solely in academic settings prior to the launch of Calibrate. Calibrate is a doctor-guided metabolic health company that combines medication with behavior change. Through Calibrate, people can sustain long-term weight loss results after medication with a digital commercial program that combines medication with proprietary ILI. With 18 months of real-world data from its program, Calibrate is committed to the regular publication of results, including the release of new cohort results in 2023. Research is critical for Calibrate as validated results drive the company’s mission to change the way the world treats weight.
You can read the full study here.
About Calibrate
Calibrate is on a mission to change the way the world treats weight. As the first outcomes-based model in obesity treatment, Calibrate is setting the standard of care with a digital program that combines medication with behavior change to improve overall metabolic health, allowing people to sustain long-term weight loss results after medication. Calibrate is the first and only program to guarantee results backed by clinically reviewed data.
Recognized as a World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer and by Fast Company’s World Changing Ideas, the Employer Health Innovation Roundtable Traction Award Winner, and Goldman Sachs Builders & Innovators in 2022, Calibrate has raised $127.6M in cumulative funding from leading healthcare and consumer investors, including Founders Fund, Tiger Global, Threshold Ventures, Forerunner Ventures, Optum Ventures, and Redesign Health.