COST PER CLINICAL WEIGHT-LOSS GOAL ACHIEVEMENT WITH SEMAGLUTIDE 2.4 MG VERSUS LIRAGLUTIDE 3 MG FROM A COLOMBIAN INSURER PERSPECTIVE
Author(s)
HAROLD J. MARIANO CANTILLO, Sr., MEd, MSc, Other1, MARIA CAMILA ROMERO ORTIZ, MEd, MSc, Other2, MIGUEL OMEARA, MEd, MSc, Other3;
1Asesor Científico Independiente -COLMEDICA MP, Bogotá, Colombia, 2SANITAS-HOCEN-COMPENSAR, Bogotá, Colombia, 3COMPENSAR, Bogotá, Colombia
1Asesor Científico Independiente -COLMEDICA MP, Bogotá, Colombia, 2SANITAS-HOCEN-COMPENSAR, Bogotá, Colombia, 3COMPENSAR, Bogotá, Colombia
OBJECTIVES: Obesity is a chronic disease associated with significant clinical and economic burden. Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) have demonstrated clinically meaningful weight loss; however, their economic efficiency varies according to the magnitude of benefit achieved. This study aimed to compare the cost per achievement of clinically relevant weight-loss targets with semaglutide 2.4 mg versus liraglutide 3 mg and to evaluate the relative cost required to achieve these targets.
METHODS: A cost-per-clinical-goal achievement analysis was conducted from the perspective of a Colombian health insurer over a 12-month time horizon without discounting. Semaglutide 2.4 mg once weekly was compared with liraglutide 3 mg once daily. Annual treatment costs included drug acquisition costs and titration periods. Clinical effectiveness was derived from the STEP 8 trial and supporting guideline evidence and defined as the proportion of patients achieving ≥5%, ≥10%, ≥15%, and ≥20% weight loss. Outcomes included cost per patient achieving each weight-loss threshold and the relative cost required with liraglutide compared with semaglutide to achieve the same clinical goal
RESULTS: Annual per-patient treatment costs were COP $13,502,500 for semaglutide and COP $9,405,400 for liraglutide. Semaglutide demonstrated higher response rates across all evaluated weight-loss thresholds. The cost per patient achieving each target was consistently lower with semaglutide. Relative cost analyses indicated that, for each peso spent with semaglutide in patients achieving ≥5%, ≥10%, ≥15%, and ≥20% weight loss, liraglutide required approximately 1.05, 1.93, 3.23, and 4.47 pesos, respectively.
CONCLUSIONS: From a Colombian insurer perspective, semaglutide 2.4 mg demonstrated greater economic efficiency than liraglutide 3 mg when evaluated using a cost-per-clinical-goal framework. The economic advantage of semaglutide increased as more stringent weight-loss targets were considered, supporting its value as an efficient pharmacological option for obesity management in payer-oriented decision-making contexts.
METHODS: A cost-per-clinical-goal achievement analysis was conducted from the perspective of a Colombian health insurer over a 12-month time horizon without discounting. Semaglutide 2.4 mg once weekly was compared with liraglutide 3 mg once daily. Annual treatment costs included drug acquisition costs and titration periods. Clinical effectiveness was derived from the STEP 8 trial and supporting guideline evidence and defined as the proportion of patients achieving ≥5%, ≥10%, ≥15%, and ≥20% weight loss. Outcomes included cost per patient achieving each weight-loss threshold and the relative cost required with liraglutide compared with semaglutide to achieve the same clinical goal
RESULTS: Annual per-patient treatment costs were COP $13,502,500 for semaglutide and COP $9,405,400 for liraglutide. Semaglutide demonstrated higher response rates across all evaluated weight-loss thresholds. The cost per patient achieving each target was consistently lower with semaglutide. Relative cost analyses indicated that, for each peso spent with semaglutide in patients achieving ≥5%, ≥10%, ≥15%, and ≥20% weight loss, liraglutide required approximately 1.05, 1.93, 3.23, and 4.47 pesos, respectively.
CONCLUSIONS: From a Colombian insurer perspective, semaglutide 2.4 mg demonstrated greater economic efficiency than liraglutide 3 mg when evaluated using a cost-per-clinical-goal framework. The economic advantage of semaglutide increased as more stringent weight-loss targets were considered, supporting its value as an efficient pharmacological option for obesity management in payer-oriented decision-making contexts.
Conference/Value in Health Info
2026-05, ISPOR 2026, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Value in Health, Volume 29, Issue S6
Code
EE113
Topic
Economic Evaluation
Disease
SDC: Diabetes/Endocrine/Metabolic Disorders (including obesity)