Effects of semaglutide on one-year medical costs among patients with obesity or overweight in US real world setting.

Background: Patients with obesity or overweight are at increased risk for obesity-related complications (ORCs), including cardiovascular disease. Treatment with once-weekly (OW) semaglutide 2.4 mg has demonstrated clinical efficacy, however its impact on healthcare resource utilization (HCRU) and costs warrants further investigation.

Research design and methods: This retrospective real-world study evaluated HCRU and costs (excluding pharmacy) among patients with obesity or overweight and ≥1 ORC in the Komodo Healthcare Map database. Baseline characteristics of patients starting OW semaglutide 2.4 mg treatment were matched to obesity medication (OM) non-users. HCRU and medical costs estimates at 12-month follow-up, both all-cause and ORC-related, were compared between the two cohorts.

Results: Patients treated with semaglutide 2.4 mg vs OM non-users had 37% and 21% lower incidence of all-cause inpatient (IP) and emergency room (ER) visits, respectively, and 45% and 29% lower incidence of ORC-related IP and ER visits, respectively. All-cause and ORC-related total medical costs were lower among patients treated with semaglutide 2.4 mg (11% and 15% lower, respectively), translating to an observed savings of $3,342 and $2,408 at 12 months.

Conclusions: In patients with obesity or overweight, OW semaglutide 2.4 mg treatment was associated with decreased total medical HCRU and costs at 12 months.