Diabetes reversal startup Virta Health offers telehealth-powered diabetes reversal treatment. The company says it is the first clinically-proven treatment to safely and sustainably reverse type 2 diabetes without medications or surgery. Sami Inkinen is one of the world's leading experts on using technology in the fight against type 2 diabetes and the co-founder and CEO of Virta Health. He joined Cheddar News to mark National Diabetes Month this November and explain how the technology works.

Closing Bell

Virta Health's Technology Helps People Reverse Their Type 2 Diabetes

diabetes reversal startup verte health offering telehealth power, diabetes reversal treatment. The company saying it's the first clinically proven treatment to safely and sustainably reverse type two diabetes without medications or surgery and with november marking national diabetes month, our new guest is one of the world's leading experts on using technology to fight against type two diabetes. So joining me now is Sammy in Canaan as Ceo and co founder of er to health Sammy thanks so much for coming on the show. Especially now give me some more details about your company. Well hi Kristin, I'm excited to be back here. Yeah indeed like you mentioned very health as a company is on a mission to reverse type two diabetes in 100 million people and we achieved that Uh through nutrition and behavior change and with intensive providers telemedicine and when I say intensive I mean that we interface with our patients three times not per year like it's usually done but three times per day. So that's how we can achieve type two diabetes reversal. So I am curious Sammy it sounds like obviously encouragement, companionship, partnership guidance with this three time a day interaction is a big factor here for your platform verte health in those sessions. What do your counselors, doctors, physicians leave the patients through. Yes, so absolutely obviously you wouldn't be able to do this or deliver this type of treatment without technology because technology allows us to one it solves the access problem no matter where you are we can support, you we can support application and then to technology drives patient safety and outcomes because because we can put doctors into our patients pockets and provide that support 24/7 and then I would say three with technology we can even spot issues before patients, patients realize our providers realize that something might be going off the rails and then we can detect that and then intervene. So technology is absolutely essential to that sort of one on one experience that we can provide to our patients. How important is the diet aspect of this to help people get back on track. Of course if a diagnosis perhaps is in their future. Um Well again it's a combination of two things without the right nutrition you would not be able to reverse type two diabetes without pharmaceuticals. So it's absolutely essential but I think the one thing to highlight is without the right support. It's very difficult to follow any nutritional program and that's one of the things that we really perfected that verdict the support and the time we support that patients need to succeed on a nutrition based program. We know that certainly healthcare costs in the country. Absolutely soaring Sammy and so what is the average cost per patient And are their financial plans that will help them navigate use of your platform? Well actually the nice thing is that most of our patients get access to verte for free. Indeed. So verte doesn't cost anything to our patients. And the reason is that we go to employers and health plans and we now work with more than 330 of them we go to employers and health plans and say hey we can help you solve the type two diabetes problem and you only pay for results. So we charge employ lawyers and health plans actually less than we save them. So it's a pretty interesting model where the employer the health plan wins and of course the individual wins who can reverse their type two diabetes literally for free for themselves. So I do see here that november is american diabetes month a good time obviously to raise awareness to help people get treatment. If that is something that they're diagnosed with, What would you tell our viewers Sammy as this month is upon us? Well, I think the most important message for the 30 million plus Americans who are living with type two diabetes is this one? Type two diabetes is absolutely reversible disease. It is not a progressive chronic disease. You can reverse the disease. And then to You know, talk to your provider, talk to your doctor and ask how can you get access to a treatment that's nutrition based and can help you reverse that. This is are there certain specific foods that help address type two diabetes when it comes to nutrition? Well, I'd say that one of the more important things that we have to address in order to deliver type two diabetes reversal at scale is high decree of individualization. You know, you could come from any kind of a background cultural needs and you're used to eating save rice and beans. So rather than focusing on specific needs, we always have a high decree of individualization that said if you don't reduce the load of sugar and carbohydrates, it's very difficult to achieve these results. But we can basically individualize the treatment to any kind of a situation that you might have in the food preferences. Well, Sammy, we appreciate the work that you're doing. Congratulations again on growing your company, that Sammy in Canon, co founder and Ceo for the health.