By Amina Niasse
NEW YORK, Jan 28 (Reuters) - Telehealth company Ro has had an influx of new customers seeking the newly launched pill version of Wegovy to lose weight, including men who have shied away from taking the popular injection form, Ro CEO Zach Reitano said.
The increased demand is due to the convenience of a pill versus an injection and its lower introductory price of $149 per month.
Patients who pay a monthly member fee can purchase the drug for between $149 for the lowest dose and $299 for the highest
dose. That $149 is good through mid-April. Novo offers the same pricing on its website. Patients who have insurance coverage may pay less.
Telehealth firms like privately held Ro have grown quickly as demand for GLP-1 drugs has surged, with shortages, high prices and insurance hurdles pushing patients toward direct-to-consumer platforms. New York-based Ro sells Eli Lilly’s Zepbound and Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy through partnerships.
Wegovy, like Ozempic, the drug developed for type 2 diabetes, is based on the active ingredient semaglutide. The drug mimics a gut hormone that suppresses appetite and makes people feel full for longer.
Launched on January 5, Wegovy is the only GLP-1 pill approved for weight loss on the market. The FDA is currently reviewing Lilly's competing pill and is expected to approve it in April.
Ro said it is planning a major advertising promotion for the Super Bowl, a commercial featuring tennis star Serena Williams, and the launch of the company's “Healthier on Ro” campaign, which highlights benefits beyond weight loss, including joint pain relief.
Williams in media interviews has challenged what she described as the stigma around using the GLP-1 drugs, namely that patients on the treatments are lazy.
"We hope that these ads continue to fight against the stigma associated with GLP-1s and educate people about their options," a spokesperson for the company said.
The Super Bowl, the National Football League’s annual championship, is routinely the most-watched television event in the United States and a centerpiece for advertising.
According to ratings firm Nielsen, over 100 million people watch the event each year. An Adweek report said a 30-second slot costs around $8 million.
(Reporting by Amina Niasse; Editing by Caroline Humer and Lisa Shumaker)
