Addition of continuous glucose monitoring to glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist treatment for type 2 diabetes mellitus - An economic evaluation.

Abstract

Background: Both glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) and continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) have been shown to improve glycated hemoglobin A1c (A1c) levels among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Recently, a US real-world study found statistically significant improvements in A1c levels among patients using GLP-1 RA and a CGM device, compared with a matched cohort receiving only GLP-1 RA.

Objectives: To assess the cost-effectiveness from a US payer perspective of initiating CGM (FreeStyle Libre Systems) in people living with T2DM using a GLP-1 RA therapy, compared with GLP-1 RA alone.

Methods: A patient-level microsimulation model was run for 10,000 patients over a lifetime horizon with 3.0% discounting for costs and utilities. Patient characteristics were based on the overall population of the US real-world study and the subgroup of patients not using intensive insulin. The effect of CGM was modeled as a persistent reduction in A1c compared with GLP-1 RA alone (overall = 0.37%; patients not using intensive insulin = 0.34%). Costs ($2,023) and disutilities were applied to diabetes complications and acute diabetic events. Outcomes were assessed as quality-adjusted life years (QALYs).

Results: The base-case incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (incremental costs/incremental QALYs) for GLP-1 RA plus CGM vs GLP-1 RA alone was $40,968/QALY in the overall cohort (cost = $484,180 vs $473,938; QALYs = 13.37 vs 13.12). Among patients not using intensive insulin, the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was $43,095/QALY. Scenario analysis showed that the model results were robust to changing assumptions. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis showed that GLP-1 RA plus CGM had a 64% probability of being cost-effective at a willingness-to-pay threshold of $100,000 per QALY.

Conclusions: From a US payer perspective, CGM is cost-effective when added to GLP-1 RA therapies for the treatment of T2DM, including for patients not using intensive insulin.