Virta Health Introduces Unified GLP-1 Access Platform for Employers

New model combines PBM, direct-to-employer, and direct-to-consumer pathways with comprehensive clinical care, giving employers full flexibility without sacrificing accountability

DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Virta Health, the leader in reversing metabolic disease, today announced an expanded menu of GLP-1 fulfillment options for employers, spanning pharmacy benefit manager (PBM), direct-to-employer (DTE), and direct-to-consumer (DTC) solutions. Virta pairs these fulfillment options with its proven Responsible Prescribing and Nutrition-first weight loss programs through which members, regardless of the fulfillment option, receive Virta’s in-house provider oversight and personalized nutrition guidance to maximize their success. The expansion reflects growing demand from employers and health plans for comprehensive GLP-1 management solutions that offer a great member experience, cost accountability and the best unit prices.

Employers continue to navigate a challenging landscape, balancing employee demand for obesity care with rising costs, with GLP-1 expenses increasing by up to 200 percent annually¹. While full PBM coverage can expose employers to uncapped pharmacy spend, fragmented cash-pay arrangements offer limited cost control and often lack the rigorous unified clinical layer needed to drive rapid and sustained health outcomes. Virta gives employers the flexibility to choose the care model and fulfillment option that fits their benefits structure and scope, without taking on open-ended financial risk.

Clinical accountability is consistent across all Virta managed programs, regardless of the fulfillment option selected. Every member gets the full benefit of the Virta platform: provider-led clinical support, nutrition-first care, and responsible prescribing designed to maximize GLP-1 effectiveness and pair with medications when clinically appropriate. That consistency underpins Virta's cost guarantees, including a 0% year-over-year GLP-1 utilization growth option, guaranteed weight loss outcomes across enrolled populations, and a 1:1 claims-based return on investment. More than 700 large self-insured employers have already chosen Virta to improve employee health and lower total healthcare costs.

“Employers shouldn't have to choose between an uncontrollable spend and fractured clinical care,” said Laura Walmsley, Chief Commercial Officer at Virta Health. “With Virta, fulfillment and payment options are their choice while the proven Virta clinical model behind it is the same regardless of which approach they use.”

Virta's nutrition-first approach supports members with, without and after GLP-1s on their weight loss journey towards better metabolic health. It is the only clinically proven care model to match GLP-1 weight loss outcomes without medication, with members losing an average of 13% of body weight through nutrition alone at one year in peer-reviewed study². More than 75% of Virta's weight loss members are not on GLP-1s³. For those who do use the medications, Virta's care model is designed to optimize outcomes and support tapering where appropriate, limiting unnecessary, long-term medication use and its associated costs. Virta prepares members for life-long outcomes beyond GLP-1s, with members sustaining 85% of weight loss beyond medication discontinuation⁴.

About Virta Health

Virta Health is the leader in reversing metabolic disease. Through their AI-powered individualized nutrition therapy, Virta combines the best of human care with the speed and precision of technology to empower members to build longer, healthier lives, while reducing or eliminating the need for medications. Virta partners with the nation’s largest employers, payers, and pharmacy benefit managers to improve the health of their members while reducing costs. Headquartered in Denver, Colorado, Virta is on a bold mission to reverse metabolic disease in one billion people. For more information, visit www.virtahealth.com.

¹ GLP-1s Now ‘Predominant Driver’ of Drug Spend Growth, SHRM, April 8, 2025, https://www.shrm.org/topics-tools/news/benefits-compensation/glp1-driving-historic-drug-spend-growth
² McKenzie AL, Athinarayanan SJ, McCue JJ, Adams RN, Keyes M, McCarter JP, Volek JS, Phinney SD, Hallberg SJ. Type 2 Diabetes Prevention Focused on Normalization of Glycemia: A Two-Year Pilot Study. Nutrients. 2021 Feb 26;13(3):749.
³ https://www.virtahealth.com/press/virta-health-surpasses-160m-in-annualized-revenue
⁴ McKenzie, A.L., Athinarayanan, S.J. Impact of Glucagon-Like Peptide 1 Agonist Deprescription in Type 2 Diabetes in a Real-World Setting: A Propensity Score Matched Cohort Study. Diabetes Ther (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13300-024-01547-0