How Ro’s Zach Reitano Is Navigating the GLP-1 Revolution—and Its Backlash
When Zach Reitano, CEO of the telehealth platform Ro, first appeared on the Masters of Scale podcast, GLP-1 medications like Ozempic, Wegovy, and Zepbound were already a cultural phenomenon. Today, his company stands as the nation’s leading provider of branded GLP-1s, a position cemented by high-profile campaigns and strategic partnerships. Yet, as the market matures, Reitano faces a new set of challenges: lingering public health unknowns, persistent cultural stigma, and an evolving regulatory landscape that could reshape not just his business, but the future of healthcare delivery.
The Serena Williams Super Bowl Play: Myth-Busting, Not Just Marketing
Reitano’s decision to air a Super Bowl ad featuring tennis legend Serena Williams in 2025 was far more than a brand awareness play—it was a calculated effort to reframe the national conversation around GLP-1s. The ad, part of a broader campaign launched after Ro’s partnership with Williams was announced in August 2024, aimed to dismantle two powerful myths.
First, that using medication for weight management is a “shortcut.” By featuring Williams—an athlete synonymous with discipline—Reitano highlighted that GLP-1s are tools for optimization, not substitutes for effort. “There’s no one probably on the planet with more self-discipline and willpower than Serena Williams,” Reitano noted. Second, the campaign pushed against the notion that these drugs are solely for weight loss. Williams discussed her own improvements in blood sugar, cholesterol (reduced by 30%), heart health, and knee pain—aligning with the drugs’ expanding FDA approvals for conditions like heart disease, sleep apnea, and kidney disease.
The Super Bowl, Reitano argued, offered a unique platform: “It’s the only time in the entire year when a hundred-million-plus people gather, and ads are part of the product.” Rather than interrupting content, the ad became an event, giving “other people permission to seek out the best tools for their health.” This approach reflected Ro’s broader strategy of education over pure demand generation, even as cash-pay prices for GLP-1s have stabilized around $1,300 per month.
Confronting Stigma and the “Ozempic Face” Backlash
Despite growing acceptance, cultural stigma around weight and medication use persists. Reitano recalled the intense reaction to Ro’s earlier, straightforward subway ads that simply depicted a pen injection with the line “A weekly shot to lose weight.” What was once deemed shocking is now “probably not surprising to people today,” a shift Reitano sees as progress. He believes Williams sharing her story may be a “watershed moment” in reducing the moralization of weight management.
However, new forms of backlash have emerged, notably the “Ozempic face” narrative—a term describing facial volume loss some patients experience. This taps into deeper anxieties about body image and the ethics of widespread medical intervention. Reitano acknowledges these concerns as part of the “long-term health unknowns” the industry must address transparently. For Ro, this means emphasizing comprehensive care: medications are prescribed within a framework that includes ongoing monitoring, lifestyle support, and discussions about potential side effects, aligning with guidelines from the FDA and professional medical societies.
Competition, Regulation, and the “Car Driving” Analogy
When Hims & Hers announced a $49-a-month generic version of the Wegovy pill in early 2025, the FDA quickly intervened, citing regulatory concerns about the drug’s sourcing and safety. The incident underscored the volatile competitive landscape. Reitano, however, downplays direct rivalry, using a driving analogy: “You have a destination in mind… 5% of the time you’re looking left, looking right, looking behind you.”
Ro’s focus, he insists, is on building the highest-quality, most comprehensive service—not on outmaneuvering competitors. The company’s claim to leadership rests on three pillars: offering both cash-pay and insurance options, maintaining the strongest formulary (including all major branded GLP-1s), and delivering care that yields real-world results matching clinical trial data. Ro has published its outcomes showing patients on its platform lose weight comparably to those in pivotal studies, a rarity in telehealth that bolsters its expertise and trustworthiness.
That said, Reitano doesn’t dismiss regulatory missteps lightly. “I don’t think it’s great if a car drives off the road, crashes into a tree, and then that tree falls on the road,” he said, noting that such events can erode patient trust and invite broader scrutiny that affects all legitimate providers. The industry’s quick response to the FDA’s action on Hims & Hers was, in his view, a necessary corrective.
The Long View: GLP-1s as a Catalyst for Systemic Change
Beyond immediate business challenges, Reitano contemplates the larger implications of the GLP-1 wave. These medications are not just treating obesity or diabetes; they are proving effective for cardiovascular risk, liver disease, and are being studied for neurodegenerative conditions and addiction. This “wave of disruption,” as Reitano calls it, could force a reckoning with how healthcare is delivered, reimbursed, and conceptualized.
For Ro, the path forward involves navigating unknowns with transparency, investing in long-term patient outcomes, and continuing to advocate for broader access—whether through insurance coverage expansions or safe, affordable alternatives. The Super Bowl ad with Serena Williams was a milestone, but the real test, Reitano suggests, is whether the industry can sustain this momentum while addressing stigma, ensuring safety, and proving that these drugs, when integrated into holistic care, truly transform long-term health.
This article is based on an abridged transcript from Rapid Response, a podcast hosted by Robert Safian and produced by the team behind Masters of Scale. Listen to the full conversation for more insights.
