MPACT OF GLUCAGON-LIKE PEPTIDE-1 (GLP-1) AGONISTS TO TREAT OBESITY ON NON-GLP-1 COSTS AMONG COMMERCIALLY INSURED MEMBERS WITHOUT DIABETES: A THREE-YEAR RETROSPECTIVE ANALYSIS
Author(s)
Jacinda Tran, PharmD, PhD, MBA1, Benjamin Y. Urick, PharmD, PhD1, Landon Z. Marshall, PharmD, PhD1, Joel Farley, PhD2, Michelle McCann, BS, BA1, Patrick Gleason, PharmD1;
1Prime Therapeutics, Eagan, MN, USA, 2University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
1Prime Therapeutics, Eagan, MN, USA, 2University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
OBJECTIVES: Glucagon-like peptide-1 agonist (GLP-1) utilization directly increases pharmacy benefit spending due to product cost but may indirectly reduce pharmacy spending on comorbidities or increase spending related to GLP-1 adverse effect management. This study evaluated 3-year non-GLP-1 pharmacy spending among commercially insured members without diabetes utilizing GLP-1 obesity treatment compared to matched controls.
METHODS: Prime Therapeutics’ integrated pharmacy and medical claims data from ~16.5 million commercially insured members were used to identify new initiators of a GLP-1 (“treatment”) or chronic medication (“control”) between 1/1/2021 and 3/31/2022. Study members were required to be ≥19 years old at index and have continuous enrollment, ≥1 medical claim for obesity, no GLP-1 use, and no evidence of diabetes in the 12 months pre-index. Members were 3:1 matched on demographic and clinical characteristics. Pharmacy costs excluding GLP-1 spending were assessed using 91-day rolling quarter periods relative to index. All members had 4 pre-index and up to 12 post-index measurements (i.e., 3-years post-index), depending on eligibility. Quarterly and annual pharmacy spending and trends were assessed using difference-in-differences and interrupted time series regressions.
RESULTS: The final analysis included 10,094 treatment members and 29,570 matched controls; 80.6% were female, and mean age was 45.6. Annualized average non-GLP-1 pharmacy spending was $2,788 pre-index and $3,305, $3,642, and $3,972 in years 1 to 3 post-index for treatment members and $2,643, $3,247, $3,420, and $3,578 for control members, with no significant differences between groups across years. Compared to controls, treatment members had -0.3% (95% CI: -2.4% to 1.9%) lower quarterly spending trend over the 3-year post-index period compared to the pre-period.
CONCLUSIONS: We show no meaningful impact on non-GLP-1 pharmacy spending after GLP-1 initiation over a 3-year period. These results suggest that GLP-1 initiation may not create meaningful net cost offsets for other conditions or increase pharmacy spending related to GLP-1 adverse effects.
METHODS: Prime Therapeutics’ integrated pharmacy and medical claims data from ~16.5 million commercially insured members were used to identify new initiators of a GLP-1 (“treatment”) or chronic medication (“control”) between 1/1/2021 and 3/31/2022. Study members were required to be ≥19 years old at index and have continuous enrollment, ≥1 medical claim for obesity, no GLP-1 use, and no evidence of diabetes in the 12 months pre-index. Members were 3:1 matched on demographic and clinical characteristics. Pharmacy costs excluding GLP-1 spending were assessed using 91-day rolling quarter periods relative to index. All members had 4 pre-index and up to 12 post-index measurements (i.e., 3-years post-index), depending on eligibility. Quarterly and annual pharmacy spending and trends were assessed using difference-in-differences and interrupted time series regressions.
RESULTS: The final analysis included 10,094 treatment members and 29,570 matched controls; 80.6% were female, and mean age was 45.6. Annualized average non-GLP-1 pharmacy spending was $2,788 pre-index and $3,305, $3,642, and $3,972 in years 1 to 3 post-index for treatment members and $2,643, $3,247, $3,420, and $3,578 for control members, with no significant differences between groups across years. Compared to controls, treatment members had -0.3% (95% CI: -2.4% to 1.9%) lower quarterly spending trend over the 3-year post-index period compared to the pre-period.
CONCLUSIONS: We show no meaningful impact on non-GLP-1 pharmacy spending after GLP-1 initiation over a 3-year period. These results suggest that GLP-1 initiation may not create meaningful net cost offsets for other conditions or increase pharmacy spending related to GLP-1 adverse effects.
Conference/Value in Health Info
2026-05, ISPOR 2026, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Value in Health, Volume 29, Issue S6
Code
RWD112
Topic
Real World Data & Information Systems
Topic Subcategory
Health & Insurance Records Systems
Disease
SDC: Diabetes/Endocrine/Metabolic Disorders (including obesity)