Virta Health, the leader in reversing metabolic disease, has announced groundbreaking results from a Phase II clinical trial that could reshape treatment for advanced pancreatic cancer. 

 

Conducted with USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, Mayo Clinic, HonorHealth Research Institute, and others, the peer-reviewed study published in Cancer shows that Virta’s medically supervised, individualized nutrition therapy—already proven to reverse type 2 diabetes and obesity—may also extend survival in patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer when combined with chemotherapy.

 

The trial enrolled patients with stage IV pancreatic cancer, where median life expectancy is just 6 to 12 months. All participants received a triplet chemotherapy regimen of gemcitabine, nab-paclitaxel, and cisplatin, then were randomized to either Virta’s nutrition therapy or a standard diet. 

 

Patients in the Virta arm lived 34% longer than the control group (13.7 vs. 10.2 months) and saw a 37% improvement in progression-free survival (8.5 vs. 6.2 months). The study met its objectives without added toxicity or decline in quality of life.

 

“Pancreatic cancer is among the deadliest cancers, and improving outcomes by any margin is rare,” said Adam Wolfberg, Chief Medical Officer of Virta. “Seeing a nutritional intervention—delivered remotely and safely—make this level of impact is extraordinary.”

 

In a field where decades of drug development have produced only incremental gains, this trial offers a rare glimmer of hope. Virta’s intervention extended survival without increasing side effects—something few lifestyle therapies can claim.

 

“The mechanism of action is not fully understood, but this nutrition approach has shown in preclinical work to improve the effect of anti-cancer therapy, and that was shown in this clinical trial,” said Erkut Borazanci, director of the Oncology Research Division of HonorHealth Research Institute and a lead author of the study. He added that researchers hope to confirm these findings in a larger study.

 

The Virta program combines individualized nutrition, biomarker tracking, AI tools, 1:1 coaching, and continuous medical supervision. 

 

“These results further validate that Virta’s approach isn’t about weight loss or calorie counting—it’s about addressing the root cause of metabolic dysfunction that drives disease,” Wolfberg said. “That’s why our method works not only to reverse obesity and type 2 diabetes, but now shows promising synergistic effects alongside traditional cancer therapies.”

 

Unlike traditional apps focused on weight loss, Virta delivers medically supervised nutrition therapy designed to reverse metabolic disease.

 

“This is not a lucky signal,” said Virta CEO Sami Inkinen. “After more than a decade reversing type 2 diabetes, obesity, and their related co-morbidities, we know nutrition is the key to addressing metabolic disease and the many conditions it drives. 

 

'This study offers our first indication that the Virta platform may improve outcomes in even the deadliest conditions, and will guide us as we further build our pipeline of programs and research. For us, it’s still Day One.”