FILE PHOTO: Linda Yaccarino, CEO of X Corp., attends the Milken Institute Global Conference 2025 in Beverly Hills, California, U.S., May 5, 2025. REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo
(Reuters) -Linda Yaccarino is taking the top job at eMed Population Health, a telehealth startup focused on GLP-1 weight loss drugs, nearly a month after stepping down as CEO of social media platform X.
Yaccarino, an advertising industry veteran, exited Elon Musk's X after two turbulent years during which she tried to revive its reputation among advertisers, who were wary of the platform's content as well as the billionaire's steady stream of controversial posts.
Although devoid of any experience in the health sector, she brings deep expertise in brand partnerships and digital revenue growth.
"I brought X through a tremendous growth trajectory, and I'm so proud of what we accomplished at such a consequential time," Yaccarino said in an interview with Reuters on Tuesday.
"We made the company successful and profitable, and right now, it was perfect time for a new challenge," she added.
At NBCUniversal, she modernized the global advertising business over a decade. At X, she helped regain advertiser confidence following turbulence under Musk's ownership.
Miami, Florida-based eMed, founded in 2020, partners with employers and government payers to manage GLP-1 usage, a class of obesity and diabetes drugs whose cost burden has been a barrier to a wider insurance coverage.
"Regardless of what space or how crowded it may appear at the moment, our vision is what matters most. So our vision is to transform the category at the most critical moment," Yaccarino said in the interview.
Several telehealth platforms are competing for a slice of the booming GLP-1 weight-loss market, reflecting a broader push to merge pharma and digital care. But the sector is drawing increased scrutiny over safety, marketing and regulatory gaps as demand and competition grow.
"I think her talents in digital marketing and advertising are important, especially as the industry becomes more of a direct-to-consumer business," said Jeff Jonas, PM at Gabelli Funds. "President Trump has been encouraging this as well, although we're still in the very early days of Hims and LillyDirect with the associated growing pains."
The company claims its platform can cut costs of a weight loss program by up to 50%, offering live, on-demand care without appointments.
EMed gained traction during the pandemic with at-home COVID-19 tests and later expanded into diagnostics for strep throat and UTIs, though it has since moved away from those offerings.
The company currently employs between 51 and 200 people, according to its LinkedIn page.
(Reporting by Mrinalika Roy, Harshita Mary Varghese, Sriparna Roy and Sneha S K in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh Kuber, Anil D'Silva and Alan Barona)
