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. 2024 Dec;80(12):1857-1870.
doi: 10.1007/s00228-024-03755-w. Epub 2024 Sep 10.

The cost-effectiveness analysis of semaglutide for the treatment of adult and adolescent patients with overweight and obesity: a systematic review

Ali Sarabi Asiabar  1   2 , Mohammad Ali Rezaei  3 , Dariush Jafarzadeh  4 , Soheila Rajaei  4 , Pezhman Atefimanesh  5 , Samira Soleimanpour  6 , Mohammad Hossein Kafaei Meher  7 , Samad Azari  8
Affiliations

The cost-effectiveness analysis of semaglutide for the treatment of adult and adolescent patients with overweight and obesity: a systematic review

Ali Sarabi Asiabar et al. Eur J Clin Pharmacol. 2024 Dec.

Abstract

Purpose: The present study aimed to systematically collect and synthesize available cost-effectiveness studies of semaglutide in patients with obesity or overweight in comparison with other interventions.

Methods: We comprehensively searched multiple electronic databases to identify relevant literature. Studies were selected based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. The quality of studies was appraised using the "Consolidated Health Economic Evaluation Reporting Standards" (CHEERS) tool. This study is conducted and reported following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement.

Results: Out of a total of 252 items, after review, 32 articles were fully reviewed, and, finally, 7 studies met inclusion and exclusion criteria. The discount rate was in the range of 1.5-3.5%. Studies included showed semaglutide offered more QALYs than anti-obesity drugs but because of higher cost, in some cases, ICER exceeds the willingness to pay threshold. Results show that semaglutide creates higher total cost compared to conventional interventions in patients with class I, II, and III obesities. Results show that in patients with class I obesity (BMI 33) lifestyle intervention (LI), endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty (ESG), Sleeve gastrectomy (SG), and semaglutide create $124,195; $126,732; $139,971; and $370,776, respectively.

Conclusion: The current systematic review showed that semaglutide provides more QALYs and creates more costs in comparison with phentermine-topiramate, phentermine, and naltrexone-bupropion. Semaglutide may be cost-effective with substantial cost reduction. Semaglutide appears to be cost-effective versus diet and exercise (D&E) and liraglutide but it was not cost-effective versus sleeve gastrectomy, endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty, and gastric bypass.

Keywords: Anti-obesity; Cost-effectiveness; Obesity; Overweight; Semaglutide.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations Ethics approval The protocol of this study has been registered with the Code of Ethics IR.IUMS.REC.1402.399 from Iran University of Medical Sciences, which has been conducted at the Health Management and Economics Research Center, Health Management Research Institute, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Competing interests The authors declare no competing interests.

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