shock News: Tennis star’s Serena Williams 30-pound weight loss draws more attention to tele health services…

Ro has seen a sharp increase in customers following its new campaign with tennis star Serena Williams, who recently opened up about losing more than 30 pounds on a weight-loss shot that she got through the telehealth company.

Since the ad aired in August, Ro has seen a spike in web traffic and an influx of new customers, Chief Executive Officer Zachariah Reitano said in an interview on Tuesday at Bloomberg’s headquarters in New York.

“It wasn’t just a one-time spike,” he said. “We’ve seen an elevated and consistent ability for her story to resonate and drive traffic.”

Ro, a privately-held company, is one of dozens of telehealth firms popular with patients seeking more affordable prices for weight-loss shots like Zepbound and Wegovy. For a monthly subscription fee, its users get access to around-the-clock virtual care and doctors who can write prescriptions for weight-loss shots and other medicines, such as drugs for hair loss or erectile dysfunction.

Williams was on a weight-loss shot prior to joining Ro, but turned to it for help after she ran into challenges due to supply shortages and other factors, Reitano said. Williams’ husband Alexis Ohanian, a longtime mentor and friend to Reitano, was one of the company’s first investors.

“She’s traveling all around,” Reitano said. “To be able to manage her medication, press a button, get it shipped to her, ask any questions, have a doctor in her pocket — all of the things that we pitched to millions of Americans — resonated with her.”

Consumers should expect to see more from Ro and Williams, which have a multiyear partnership.

The popularity of telehealth sites like Ro has compelled Novo Nordisk A/S and Eli Lilly & Co., the makers of Wegovy and Zepbound, to strike agreements allowing patients to more easily access cash-pay versions of their medications. Lilly offers a vial version of Zepbound starting at $350 a month, while Novo’s cash-pay options for Ozempic and Wegovy are $499 a month. Ro has agreements with both companies that allow it to integrate directly with their cash-pay pharmacies, streamlining the experience for patients and doctors.