ECONOMIC IMPACT OF CARDIOVASCULAR BENEFIT OF SEMAGLUTIDE VERSUS TIRZEPATIDE IN PATIENTS WITH OVERWEIGHT OR OBESITY IN CHINA
Author(s)
Nannan Meng, bachelor1, Ziming Wan, bachelor2, lei dou, Ph.D3.
1Department of Social Medicine and Health Management, School of Public Health, Shandong University, jinan, China, 2Department of Social Medicine and Health Management, School of Public Health, Shandong University, Jinan, China, 3Department of Social Medicine and Health Management, School of Public Health, Shandong university, Jinan, China.
1Department of Social Medicine and Health Management, School of Public Health, Shandong University, jinan, China, 2Department of Social Medicine and Health Management, School of Public Health, Shandong University, Jinan, China, 3Department of Social Medicine and Health Management, School of Public Health, Shandong university, Jinan, China.
OBJECTIVES: The cardiovascular (CV) benefit of semaglutide has been proved in the CV outcome trial, which STEER real-word study showed that semaglutide significantly reduced the primary composite endpoint (myocardial infarction, heart failure, stroke, coronary revascularization, and all-cause mortality) compared to Tirzepatide. This study aimed to evaluate the economic impact of preventing adverse CV outcomes by semaglutide compared to tirzepatide in patient with overweight or obesity in China.
METHODS: A 10-year cost-consequence model was built to compare the economic impact of semaglutide and tirzepatide. Incidence rates of four major CV complications (myocardial infarction, stroke, heart failure, and coronary revascularization) were extracted from STEER. Only direct medical costs were included in the cost components, with data sourced from the most recent literature. Annual cost differences (years 1-10) were calculated and the contribution of each complication to overall savings was quantified.
RESULTS: Compared with tirzepatide, semaglutide saves a total of CNY 17,050 in direct medical costs per patient over 10 years—equivalent to CNY 4.7 per day. CNY 5,575 of the total saving was already realized within the first five years, primarily driven by fewer cardiovascular complications. Decade-long savings by complication are CNY 7,124 (myocardial infarction, 41.8%), CNY 2,056 (stroke, 12.1%), CNY 3,623 (heart failure, 21.2%), and CNY 4,247 (coronary revascularization, 24.9%).
CONCLUSIONS: In Chinese patients with overweight or obesity, semaglutide produces significant and steadily increasing direct medical-cost savings compared with tirzepatide by reducing the incidence of cardiovascular events and their downstream complications, with myocardial infarction contributing the largest share of the long-term cumulative reduction.
METHODS: A 10-year cost-consequence model was built to compare the economic impact of semaglutide and tirzepatide. Incidence rates of four major CV complications (myocardial infarction, stroke, heart failure, and coronary revascularization) were extracted from STEER. Only direct medical costs were included in the cost components, with data sourced from the most recent literature. Annual cost differences (years 1-10) were calculated and the contribution of each complication to overall savings was quantified.
RESULTS: Compared with tirzepatide, semaglutide saves a total of CNY 17,050 in direct medical costs per patient over 10 years—equivalent to CNY 4.7 per day. CNY 5,575 of the total saving was already realized within the first five years, primarily driven by fewer cardiovascular complications. Decade-long savings by complication are CNY 7,124 (myocardial infarction, 41.8%), CNY 2,056 (stroke, 12.1%), CNY 3,623 (heart failure, 21.2%), and CNY 4,247 (coronary revascularization, 24.9%).
CONCLUSIONS: In Chinese patients with overweight or obesity, semaglutide produces significant and steadily increasing direct medical-cost savings compared with tirzepatide by reducing the incidence of cardiovascular events and their downstream complications, with myocardial infarction contributing the largest share of the long-term cumulative reduction.
Conference/Value in Health Info
2026-05, ISPOR 2026, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Value in Health, Volume 29, Issue S6
Code
EE114
Topic
Economic Evaluation
Topic Subcategory
Cost/Cost of Illness/Resource Use Studies, Trial-Based Economic Evaluation
Disease
SDC: Cardiovascular Disorders (including MI, Stroke, Circulatory), SDC: Diabetes/Endocrine/Metabolic Disorders (including obesity)