Ro is teaming up with Gelesis to offer high-quality remote care dedicated to weight management and prescription fulfillment of Plenity. The new service is designed to complement traditional live interactions to ensure people seeking healthcare provider guidance for weight loss will have easy access to multiple options. Through the Gelesis-Ro partnership, Plenity will be the first FDA-cleared weight management aid and first primary care product to launch with both traditional healthcare provider and telehealth services, making Plenity available to patients nationwide.
Plenity is an orally administered, non-systemic and non-stimulant aid to weight management that was recently cleared for use by the FDA in adults with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 25-40 kg/m2, when used in conjunction with diet and exercise. It is the only prescription weight management product indicated for use by overweight adults with a BMI as low as 25 kg/m2, making it available for the largest number of adults affected by overweight and obesity of any prescription weight-management aid.
Through Ro’s telehealth platform, adults will have access to physicians trained in weight management support. Those interested in learning if Plenity is a safe and appropriate treatment for them can seek care through an online doctor’s visit dedicated to weight management. If it is determined that an individual should be seen in person for follow-up care or is better suited for another course of treatment, the provider will recommend that they visit their primary care provider or a specialist. Adults who receive a prescription for Plenity through Ro’s platform will have access to unlimited follow-up communication with their physician at no additional cost and will be provided with educational resources and lifestyle recommendations. Ro can also keep a patient’s in-person provider updated on their treatment plan at the patient’s request to ensure continuity of care.
Ro currently powers digital health clinics that provide a personalized end to end telehealth experience from medical diagnosis to the delivery of prescription and over-the-counter products. Plenity will be the only weight management treatment available through Ro’s digital clinics as the company expands to treat new conditions on its platform. Ro’s portfolio currently includes products for men’s and women’s sexual health, smoking cessation and insomnia.
“Prior to this point, safe and effective treatment options for weight management were limited and patients have faced significant barriers to accessing high-quality care-whether that’s due to stigmatization, cost or geography,” Zachariah Reitano, co-founder and CEO of Ro, said in a statement. “Through this unique partnership, Ro will provide high-quality, innovative treatment for weight management, deliver Plenity straight to a patient’s door, and maintain unrivaled care on one seamless platform. Together, we can have a profound impact on how patients and physicians tackle this serious and pervasive health challenge.”
Obesity is a chronic progressive disease resulting from multiple environmental and genetic factors. Because of the disease complexity, there are numerous therapeutic and social challenges facing individuals seeking assistance to achieve a healthier weight. There are also limited safe and effective prescription options to treat adults who are overweight but do not meet the clinical threshold for obesity.