[DO NOT PUBLISH] Improving and Accelerating Scientific Discovery with Preprint Servers

We are in the middle of a paradigm shift for type 2 diabetes treatment. The work of our co-founders and research team, in addition to the efforts of many other researchers before us, is providing new hope for those with chronic metabolic diseases.Concurrently, the scientific publishing industry is also undergoing transformation. The peer-review process remains the gold-standard for scientific acceptance. It is designed to elevate only meaningful and high-quality science. Yet, this process can take months and sometimes years, thereby slowing the speed of scientific discovery.How then, as a research community, do we maintain the integrity of the publication process while eliminating potential delays in sharing important discoveries?To answer this question, more and more researchers are turning to pre-print servers—digital means of posting research prior to the completion of peer-review publication. In addition to making valuable research available to others earlier, pre-print servers have the added benefit of generating discussion and feedback to ultimately strengthen the final peer-reviewed literature.Virta’s belief is that preprint servers provide a unique opportunity to create stronger published results, while supporting our values of transparency, rapid iteration, and being evidence-based. This is why we have posted our latest manuscript on the cardiovascular analysis of the Virta Treatment on BiorXiv (pronounced “bio-archive”), a popular pre-print server used in life-sciences. We welcome your feedback and insights.Going forward, the Virta research team plans to use open-access pre-print servers whenever possible to accelerate scientific progress and improve the rigor of our work through broader feedback. While doing so, we remain committed to peer review in the creation of publication-quality finished manuscripts.