The Verta Nutritional Intervention was shown in a randomized, controlled phase II clinical trial to improve survival outcomes in patients with one of the most lethal cancers.
Denver, March 12, 2026–( BUSINESS WIRE )– Verta Health, a leader in metabolic disease prevention, today announced the results of a randomized, controlled phase II clinical trial (RCT), providing an early signal that could change how advanced pancreatic cancer is treated. Conducted in partnership with USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, Mayo Clinic, HonorHealth Research Institute, and others, the research was peer-reviewed and published. cancershows that Verta’s medically supervised, individualized nutritional therapy — long proven effective in preventing metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes and obesity — also shows promise in extending survival in patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer when used with chemotherapy.
The trial enrolled patients with stage IV metastatic pancreatic cancer, where the average life expectancy is 6 to 12 months. All participants received a triple chemotherapy regimen—gemcitabine, nab-paclitaxel, and cisplatin—and were randomized to Verta Nutrition therapy or the standard regimen. Patients in the Verta arm lived 34% longer than patients in the control arm (average 13.7 vs. 10.2 months), and progression-free survival improved by 37% (average 8.5 vs. 6.2 months). The trial met its objective, demonstrating a trend toward improvement in feasibility and progression-free survival—all without any toxicity or reduction in quality of life—on Verta.
“Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest cancers, and universally improving outcomes are rare,” said Adam Wolfberg, MD, MPH, and chief medical officer of Verta. “To see a nutritional intervention—delivered remotely and safely—have this level of impact is extraordinary.”
In a field where decades of drug development have yielded only incremental gains, this trial marks a rare and promising exception. Verta’s intervention showed a promising trend toward life extension without increasing side effects—little, if any, that current lifestyle approaches can claim.
“The mechanism of action is not fully understood, but this method of nutrition has been shown in clinical work to improve the effect of anti-cancer treatment, and it was shown in this clinical trial,” said Erkut Borazansi, MD, director of the HonorHealth Research Institute’s Oncology Research Department, and one of the lead authors of the study paper.
Dr Borzansi said the researchers hope to confirm their findings in a larger study.
While previous laboratory studies have suggested this link, clinical evaluation of nutritional interventions targeting cancer metabolism remains limited, particularly in aggressive cancer. The program used in the trial was developed and administered by Verta and includes individualized nutrition, biomarker tracking, AI tools, 1:1 coaching, and continuous medical monitoring by Verta providers.
“These results further confirm that Verta’s approach is not about weight loss or calorie counting—it’s about addressing the root cause of the metabolic dysfunction that causes disease,” Wolfberg said. Wolfberg said. “That’s why our approach not only works to prevent obesity and type 2 diabetes, but now shows synergistic effects in addition to traditional cancer treatments.”
Unlike traditional weight-loss apps or calorie-counting platforms, Verta offers medically-monitored nutritional therapy rooted in science and designed—not just—to manage metabolic diseases like obesity and type 2 diabetes.
This latest study represents Verta’s ambitious plan to expand into new clinical indications related to metabolic disease. “This is not a lucky signal,” Verta CEO Sami Ankinen said. “After more than a decade of reversing type 2 diabetes, obesity, and their related diseases, we know that nutrition is key in targeting metabolic diseases and many conditions. This study provides our first indication that the Verta platform can improve outcomes even in the most lethal conditions, and guides us as we build our research and pipeline program to one day further.”
About Verta Health
Verta Health is a leader in metabolic disease prevention. Through their AI-powered personalized nutritional therapy, Verta combines the best of human care with the speed and precision of technology to empower members to live longer, healthier lives, while reducing or eliminating the need for medication. Verta partners with the nation’s largest employers, payers and pharmacy benefit managers to improve the health of their members while reducing costs. Headquartered in Denver, Colorado, Verta is on a bold mission to reverse metabolic disease in one billion people. For more information, visit www.virtahealth.com.
notes
Jameson GS, Roe DJ, Borazansi E, Hanna DL, Roberts CGP, Pelister MS, Frank RC, Alistair AT, Miller AM, Widmeier Neuter JE, Alges SD, Zoller AR, Hallberg SJ, Wertheim BC, Lee K, Credbring D, Rabino-Sharma SD, Japtzley SD, Jepton DD, Rasko DW. A randomized phase II trial of gemcitabine, nab-paclitaxel, cisplatin with or without a medically supervised ketogenic diet for patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer.. cancer 2026;e70343. doi:10.1002/cncr.70343
A Randomized Phase II Trial of Gemcitabine, Nab-Paclitaxel, Cisplatin in Patients With Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer With or Without a Medically Supervised Ketogenic Diet Can be accessed at: https://acsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/cncr.70343
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