Presentation (CTI)

OBJECTIVES: This study examines the real‐world impact of diabetes drug innovation on the progression of diabetes‐related complications, measured by the Diabetes Complications Severity Index (DCSI), from macro and micro perspectives in Korea. At the macro level, we analyze the association between the drug innovation indicator (Vintage, defined as the year of initial drug approval) and national average DCSI using data from 2002 to 2019. At the micro level, we investigate a cohort of patients diagnosed with diabetes in 2005-2006 (or during 2006) with a baseline DCSI of 0, followed using national health insurance sample data from 2006 to 2019.
METHODS: We constructed a longitudinal cohort from national health insurance sample data including diabetes patients without complications at baseline. Annual DCSI measurements and prescription records were collected for 2006-2019. Primary independent variables included drug innovation (average “vintage”) and drug type (e.g., DPP-4 inhibitors, SGLT2 inhibitors, insulin). Covariates included demographics (age, sex), baseline clinical parameters (HbA1c, BMI, blood pressure), socioeconomic indicators, and healthcare access. A mixed effects model was applied to account for repeated measures within individuals.
RESULTS: Macro-level analysis showed that higher drug innovation levels were significantly associated with slower average DCSI progression (β = -0.19958, p < 0.005). Micro-level findings revealed that patients treated with newer drug types experienced a significantly lower rate of complication progression compared to those on older regimens.
CONCLUSIONS: Our findings provide empirical evidence that diabetes drug innovation in Korea contributes to the slower progression of diabetes-related complications. The results support the clinical value of innovative treatment strategies and emphasize their implications for diabetes care and health policy.