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Zachariah Reitano

CEO & Co-Founder, Ro

Search every verified Zachariah Reitano interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. Zachariah Reitano, CEO and co-founder of Ro, has recently discussed the company’s role in the GLP-1 drug market and the broader healthcare system. In May 2026, at the Semafor World Economy summit, he noted that Ro launched the WGO pill and added Eli Lilly’s oral GLP-1 to its formulary. He described GLP-1s as “incredibly rare” because they satisfy five criteria—eligibility for a majority of the U.S. population, patient and provider demand, effectiveness, and scalability—which he said created pressure that dropped prices from $1,300 two years ago. Reitano stated that Ro has reduced friction by partnering directly with pharmaceutical companies, removing middlemen like insurers and PBMs to pass savings to patients. He also said that the majority of Ro members earn less than $100,000 a year and pay cash, and that technology is the only path to reach rural and underserved patients. In a March 2026 interview on the Rapid Response podcast, Reitano addressed the cultural backlash to GLP-1s, comparing criticism of “Ozempic face” to historical critiques of “bicycle face” in the 1890s. He said that while not everyone should take a GLP-1, far more people are clinically eligible than is often acknowledged. Reitano also discussed the Trump administration’s role in reducing GLP-1 prices, calling the starting price of $149 a “powerful indication” of the impact of direct-to-consumer health and cash-pay competition. He noted that early research suggests patients may maintain weight and metabolic benefits by taking the medication every 10 days or two weeks, potentially cutting the price in half. Reitano stated that Ro focuses on helping patients achieve health goals, and that he would be happy for the company to go out of business if every patient could live pain-free.

Recent appearances

Notable quotes

“I think all therapies should be launching with cash pricing alongside insurance. I think all therapies should be launching with cash pricing alongside insurance.”

“Two years ago, these drugs were $1,300. There's one or two of them moderately covered by insurance, even the minority, and they're pretty inaccessible for people. Fast forward two years later, right? Because of those five things, right? Because the majority of the population wanted them, providers wanted them to uh for people to have them, they were upstream of the leading causes of death that that we face. That put ”

“I think Trump Rx is a great example of what you're talking about — the overall negotiations between the administration and pharmaceutical companies have led to a significant reduction in price in GLP‑1s. Not just the website, but the overall policy push is why these drugs can start at about $149.”

“So, first, can we just acknowledge how awesome it is that the starting price is $149? The fact that it's come down ~90% is a really powerful indication of the impact of direct-to-consumer health and cash-pay competition.”

“It's the seamless connection between a doctor's office, pharmacy and lab, all through the lens of helping them achieve their health goals so that they can achieve their life goals.”

The summary and quote tags on this profile are produced with AI assistance from verified, first-person interview transcripts, then checked by our team to confirm the speaker's identity and the accuracy of every quote. See how we verify →