Obesity is a widespread health concern affecting a significant portion of the American population. Addressing this issue requires innovative and sustainable approaches to weight loss. Alfie Health, a New York City-based virtual obesity management clinic founded in 2022, emerged as a player in this field, leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to personalize weight loss programs. Recently, Alfie Health was acquired by Knownwell, a weight-inclusive primary care and metabolic health company, marking a new chapter in its journey to combat obesity.
Alfie Health's Approach to Obesity Management
Alfie Health distinguishes itself by utilizing a proprietary AI clinical decision support technology called ObesityRx. This system, developed with input from obesity specialists from Mass General and the Cleveland Clinic, conducts a metabolic profile of patients to understand the underlying factors contributing to their weight gain. By analyzing patient data and medical records, ObesityRx aims to identify the most effective treatment strategies, including medication and lifestyle modifications.
Personalized Recommendations and Virtual Care
Alfie Health's platform gathers patients’ medical records with their permission, and patients conduct metabolic lab testing and bloodwork at Labcorp and Quest Diagnostic locations to determine the safety of different medications. Alfie Health uses AI to make recommendations to help patients lose weight. These recommendations could include medications as well as lifestyle changes like nutrition and exercise. These recommendations are then combined with virtual visits with Alfie’s providers, including nurse practitioners and medical doctors. The program also includes monthly telehealth visits with specially trained providers and updated analyses driven by the ObesityRx platform to provide ongoing support. Alfie provides ongoing medical supervision and support via regular telehealth visits.
Medication and Lifestyle Changes
While GLP-1s like Ozempic and Wegovy (which help lower blood sugar to support weight loss) are sometimes offered as part of treatment, that is not always the case as these drugs don’t help everyone. Alfie Health does offer GLP-1s, but only a small percentage of its patients got prescribed the drugs. Alfie Health's approach emphasizes the importance of precision in both medication and lifestyle changes. Alexander Singh declared, “Having a program that is really focused on not just the precision of which medications may work the best, but also the precision of which behavioral lifestyle changes (exercise, diet, sleep, etc.) will work the best … is really important."
Eligibility Criteria and Geographic Reach
To be eligible for the program, patients have to be over the age of 18 and have a body mass index of 30 or higher, or have a body mass index of 27 and higher along with comorbidities (like sleep apnea and hypertension). Alfie Health also contracts with payers in select states-including Maryland, Virginia, New York, New Jersey, California, Texas, Florida and the District of Columbia- in a fee-for-service model. It aims to transition to a value-based care model in the future. Alfie Health has patients in seven states, including New York and New Jersey.
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Acquisition by Knownwell
Alfie Health has been acquired by knownwell, the in-person and virtual, weight-inclusive primary care and metabolic health company. Knownwell is built for the millions of Americans who have been told that their weight is the problem, regardless of their unique health concerns. Knownwell executives said the company will integrate Alfie’s unique AI-powered ObesityRx platform into its current care model. Alexander Singh, founder and CEO of Alfie Health, will join Knownwell as head of analytics.
Knownwell's Weight-Inclusive Approach
Knownwell, launched in 2023, provides both in-person and virtual services for weight-inclusive primary care and metabolic health and serves patients across Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New Hampshire. "We're trying to be the accessible healthcare home for patients with overweight and obesity," Pratt said. "We want our clinicians to be armed with the latest research such as how blood pressure medications interact with patients with overweight and obesity. But it's really hard to keep clinical decision support tools up to date in every disease area that affects primary care," Pratt said.
Integrating AI for Enhanced Care
"We get full medical records and we do a one-hour consultation with a specialist and the patient. Having a tool that can help our clinicians parse through years and years of medical records and parse through those social and behavioral surveys we do with patients before their first visit is key. It's just too much data for a human to consume," she said ."We have an EMR [electronic medical record] where the doctor charts. "We have a few health system partnerships that are coming online here soon," Pratt noted. "We also have been investing in infrastructure with people, processes and tools to make sure that when we open new clinics that the same care you get in New England will be the same care you get somewhere else.
Funding and Partnerships
In June, Alfie Health raised $2.1 million in pre-seed funding led by Y Combinator and Nina Capital. The seed funding was led by Y Combinator and Nina Capital. With the financing, the company aims to scale its sales and partnerships. It currently works with a cardiology group and a large self-funded employer client to provide weight loss services to patients and employees, Singh said. Alfie Health is working with two healthcare organizations, including a large cardiology group. Alfie Health works with a number of third-party companies to provide all aspects of its platform, Singh said. Alfie Health has snapped $2.1 million in funding led by Y Combinator (that backed Curacel, and Take App) and Nina Capital, along with Goodwater Capital, Phoenix Investment Club, and various angels, including the founder of unicorn OpenTrons.
The Importance of Data-Driven Approaches
“The results of our internal study are promising. Our patients have been struggling with obesity for years, or decades in some cases, and frequently suffer from other related health problems,” said Alexander Singh, co-founder and CEO, Alfie Health. “ObesityRx technology provides a unique, data-driven approach that optimizes treatment strategies, streamlining costs associated with obesity and ensuring we strike the perfect balance in prescribing medications. Evidence-based medicine is at the heart of what we've built at Alfie. We believe that data should be at the core of treating patients, especially in a field where it's been ignored for so long and patients have felt the (often negative) brunt of that.
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A Patient's Perspective
One patient shared their experience with Alfie, stating, "I am thrilled to share my testimonial for Alfie, the company that has been instrumental in helping me transform my life. Over the last 9 months, I have embarked on an incredible journey toward achieving my weight loss goals, and Alfie has been my trusted partner every step of the way. I, like many women in their 30s and 40s, found myself in a cycle of attempting fad diets, failing, and inevitably gaining more weight back. I hadn’t learned how to eat properly with my decreasing metabolism and energy levels, and I lacked the motivation and knowledge to make substantial changes. With Alfie’s comprehensive program, I have lost almost 60 pounds and regained my confidence and vitality."
The patient further elaborated on the personalized approach, noting, "Alfie's personalized approach to weight loss impressed me from the beginning. They provided me with effective medication that supported my weight loss efforts, while their dedicated health coaches guided me toward making healthier choices in my diet and lifestyle. The combination of medication and health coaching has been a game-changer for me. The health coaches have empowered me to learn healthy food behavior and encouraged me to keep going when I was not perfect with my choices. They educated me about proper nutrition, helped me develop healthier eating habits, and provided continuous motivation throughout my journey. Their guidance and support help ensure this will become a sustainable lifestyle and not another yo-yo diet."
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