Characteristics of Patients Initiating Glucagon-like Peptide-1 (GLP-1) Receptor Agonists (RAs) for Cardiometabolic Risk Reduction in a Medicare Population
Author(s)
Shivani Aggarwal, PhD, MS1, Jonathan Watts, MPH1, Na An, MS2, David Goldfarb, PhD, MPH3, Sushma Reddy Vadyala, MS2, Puneet Budhiraja, BE2.
1Landmark Science, Inc., Los Angeles, CA, USA, 2Humbi LLC, Nashville, TN, USA, 3Landmark Science, Inc., New York, NY, USA.
1Landmark Science, Inc., Los Angeles, CA, USA, 2Humbi LLC, Nashville, TN, USA, 3Landmark Science, Inc., New York, NY, USA.
OBJECTIVES: GLP-1 RAs have been approved for Type 2 diabetes (T2D) and obesity. More recently, in March 2024, Wegovy (semaglutide) became the first GLP-1 RA approved for cardiovascular risk reduction. Here, we describe clinical characteristics, treatment patterns, and trends of GLP-1 RA initiators for T2D, obesity, and cardiovascular risk in a large US Medicare population.
METHODS: We conducted a retrospective observational study of adult (≥18 years) US patients initiating GLP-1 RAs between January 01, 2018-June 30, 2024 using the Medicare 100% Fee-for-Service (FFS) claims database, which covers beneficiaries ≥65 and those with disabilities. Patients were required to have ≥6 months of continuous health plan and pharmacy coverage (Part A, Part B, and Part D). Clinical and treatment characteristics were described. Descriptive analyses were performed to identify trends in GLP-1 RA utilization.
RESULTS: Among 59,954,902 FFS patients in the Medicare database, 1,204,308 adult patients initiated GLP-1 RAs. The median age was 69 years, 55.7% were female, 74.9% were White, and 8.5% were Hispanic. The majority (87.8%) of patients had T2D and 45.5% were overweight or obese prior to initiating GLP-1 RA. Commonly occurring comorbidities included peripheral vascular disease (17.3%) and congestive heart failure (16.3%). Semaglutide (Ozempic, Rybelsus, Wegovy) accounted for half the GLP-1 RAs initiated during the study period, with Ozempic and Rybelsus accounting for 53.8% and 11.4%, respectively, on or after 2022. Wegovy was initiated predominantly from March 2024 onwards, following approval for cardiovascular risk reduction. Majority of prescribers for the index drug were primary care physicians (53.7%), followed by nurse practitioners (18.4%), and endocrinologists (15.1%).
CONCLUSIONS: Patients initiating GLP-1 RAs in the Medicare 100% FFS database increased considerably from 2018-2024. The majority of patients had T2D or were overweight/obese, and were Ozempic users. Wegovy use rose after its March 2024 approval for cardiovascular risk reduction, reflecting broad adoption across patient groups.
METHODS: We conducted a retrospective observational study of adult (≥18 years) US patients initiating GLP-1 RAs between January 01, 2018-June 30, 2024 using the Medicare 100% Fee-for-Service (FFS) claims database, which covers beneficiaries ≥65 and those with disabilities. Patients were required to have ≥6 months of continuous health plan and pharmacy coverage (Part A, Part B, and Part D). Clinical and treatment characteristics were described. Descriptive analyses were performed to identify trends in GLP-1 RA utilization.
RESULTS: Among 59,954,902 FFS patients in the Medicare database, 1,204,308 adult patients initiated GLP-1 RAs. The median age was 69 years, 55.7% were female, 74.9% were White, and 8.5% were Hispanic. The majority (87.8%) of patients had T2D and 45.5% were overweight or obese prior to initiating GLP-1 RA. Commonly occurring comorbidities included peripheral vascular disease (17.3%) and congestive heart failure (16.3%). Semaglutide (Ozempic, Rybelsus, Wegovy) accounted for half the GLP-1 RAs initiated during the study period, with Ozempic and Rybelsus accounting for 53.8% and 11.4%, respectively, on or after 2022. Wegovy was initiated predominantly from March 2024 onwards, following approval for cardiovascular risk reduction. Majority of prescribers for the index drug were primary care physicians (53.7%), followed by nurse practitioners (18.4%), and endocrinologists (15.1%).
CONCLUSIONS: Patients initiating GLP-1 RAs in the Medicare 100% FFS database increased considerably from 2018-2024. The majority of patients had T2D or were overweight/obese, and were Ozempic users. Wegovy use rose after its March 2024 approval for cardiovascular risk reduction, reflecting broad adoption across patient groups.
Conference/Value in Health Info
2025-05, ISPOR 2025, Montréal, Quebec, CA
Value in Health, Volume 28, Issue S1
Code
EPH74
Topic
Epidemiology & Public Health
Topic Subcategory
Public Health
Disease
No Additional Disease & Conditions/Specialized Treatment Areas, SDC: Cardiovascular Disorders (including MI, Stroke, Circulatory), SDC: Diabetes/Endocrine/Metabolic Disorders (including obesity), STA: Multiple/Other Specialized Treatments