Ro

Ro, online telemedicine for weight loss, sexual health, and daily care

Ro is a telemedicine company that connects patients with licensed healthcare professionals in the United States over the internet. Its model relies on a fully online platform, with no need for health insurance, free and discreet shipping, and the ability for users to manage their goals and communicate with their healthcare professional at any time. The company states it has more than three million members and says that 95% of them rate their experience positively.

Treatment areas

Ro's activity is organized around six main areas: weight loss, sexual health, fertility, hair, skin, and daily health. Each of these groups specific treatments, some brand-name and others generic, which are detailed below.

Weight loss

The catalog includes FDA-approved GLP-1 receptor agonists, presented as the most affordable option available. Alternatives include the Ro Body membership, the Wegovy (semaglutide) pill and pen, the Foundayo (orforglipron) pill, the KwikPen pen and the Zepbound (tirzepatide) presentation, Ozempic (semaglutide), and Saxenda. The website shows starting prices and savings compared with the list price: Wegovy pill from $1,349, with a $149 per month fee and up to 88% savings; Zepbound KwikPen from $1,087, with $299 per month and up to 72% savings; Foundayo from $649, with $149 per month and up to 77% savings; and a new dose of the Wegovy pen from $1,349, with $199 per month and up to 85% savings. The company warns that Ozempic is FDA-approved for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, although it may be prescribed off-label for weight loss at the healthcare professional's discretion, and notes that GLP-1 medications may have serious side effects, including possible thyroid tumors.

Sexual health

This area offers treatments for erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation. The Ro Sparks product is presented as a fast-acting, long-lasting treatment, with an average onset of 15 minutes and a duration of up to 36 hours. Daily Rise Gummies contain tadalafil and work continuously. Also sold are the generic of Viagra (sildenafil), presented as up to 95% cheaper than the brand, Viagra (sildenafil), with effect in up to 60 minutes and a duration of 6 hours, the generic of Cialis (tadalafil), and Cialis (tadalafil), in daily or as-needed options. The company states that these drugs should not be taken with nitrates or with guanylate cyclase stimulators such as Adempas (riociguat), and that Sparks and Daily Rise are compounded drugs not approved by the FDA.

Fertility

The company offers a fertility hormone test, ovulation tests, pregnancy tests, a sperm kit, and a prenatal multivitamin.

Hair and skin

For hair loss, Ro has treatments for men and women. For men, it includes Ro Mane Spray, oral finasteride, oral minoxidil, topical minoxidil, Revive Shampoo, and Restore Conditioner. For women, it offers oral minoxidil and a hair solution. In the skin area, custom prescription treatments and LATISSE for longer lashes are sold, as well as treatments for cold sores and genital herpes.

Daily health

The catalog is completed with a men's daily multivitamin, a prenatal multivitamin, and a testosterone support supplement.

How the service works

The process is entirely online and does not require health insurance. The company offers free and discreet shipping, communication with the healthcare professional through the platform, and management of health goals in one place. It also provides users with free tools such as the GLP-1 coverage checker, BMI, BMR, TDEE, calorie deficit, and protein calculators, and a GLP-1 supply tracker.

Clinical backing and advisors

Ro states that its team of experts and advisors combines clinical experience to deliver healthcare at scale. Among the profiles it mentions are board-certified professionals, with more than 20 years of experience in a medical specialty, hundreds of studies published in top-tier medical journals, and former policy leaders such as a former surgeon general and a former DEA official. The company identifies Dr. Melynda Barnes as medical director, triple board-certified in obesity medicine, facial plastic and reconstructive surgery, and otolaryngology, trained at Stanford University and a member of the Yale Medical Group board; Dr. Raoul Manalac, senior director of clinical strategy, a board-certified internist, trained at Johns Hopkins University and the American Board of Obesity Medicine; and Dr. Nitin Vaswani, director of clinical strategy, a general surgeon and clinical pathologist in training, with training at Johns Hopkins University and the University of Pennsylvania.

Educational content

The company maintains a health guide with articles on topics such as the Wegovy oral pill, the differences between Cialis and Viagra, the differences between Wegovy and Ozempic, the use of foam versus liquid minoxidil, scientific methods to achieve firmer erections, guides on oral GLP-1s for weight loss, tips when Viagra doesn't work, how much hair loss is normal, the differences between Zepbound and Wegovy, and the differences between sildenafil and Viagra.