US telehealth company Ro has launched an artificial intelligence-powered healthcare research unit to analyse patient outcomes and potentially provide data-driven insights to pharmaceutical companies.
The company said the research lab would use information generated through its digital health platform, which has served millions of patients, to examine how people respond to treatments and identify ways to improve healthcare outcomes.
Ro Chief Executive Officer, Zach Reitano, said the research could help drugmakers determine which patients are most likely to benefit from specific medications. It could also provide insurers with evidence to assess whether expensive treatments should be covered.
Reitano disclosed that Ro was already in discussions with pharmaceutical manufacturers about potential partnerships with the research unit.
The initiative comes as the company expands its involvement in the weight-loss drug market, where it connects patients with virtual prescribers and provides access to treatments such as Eli Lilly’s Zepbound and Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy through the manufacturers’ direct pharmacies.
Eligible patients can also access the medications through insurance.
Ro said its AI tools would analyse data collected through its platform to generate what is known as real-world evidence, which can help researchers and healthcare providers understand how treatments perform outside controlled clinical trials.
The company earlier this year entered a research collaboration with Amgen to examine barriers to accessing obesity treatments, including GLP-1 medications.
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Ro is among a growing group of digital health companies, including Hims & Hers Health and Noom, that have built businesses around virtual medical consultations and access to prescription weight-loss drugs.
Beyond obesity treatment, Ro also offers services and medications covering sexual health, hair loss and skincare.
The research initiative could become particularly relevant as some employers reconsider insurance coverage for GLP-1 weight-loss medications because of their rising healthcare costs.
Reitano said stronger evidence of the drugs’ long-term health benefits and potential cost savings could help insurers make more informed decisions about covering the treatments.
The move also comes as pharmaceutical companies increasingly seek to understand how medicines perform across different patient groups, with Novo Nordisk Chief Executive Mike Doustdar recently saying future obesity treatments would likely be developed to address varying patient needs.
About the Author
Cecilia Attah is a tech analyst with a degree from Benue State University. She covers tech news and startups at TechRegard with a focus on how technology is transforming Africa and shaping the global landscape.
