OBJECTIVES: To investigate the cost of treatment success (cost of control) in patients with type-2 diabetes (T2DM) achieving a composite endpoint of blood glucose, weight and hypoglycaemia with liraglutide 1.2mg once-daily as compared to other relevant antidiabetic therapies in China. METHODS: To measure the ability to obtain control of diabetes, a single composite endpoint was defined as achieving HbA1c below 7% without weight gain and with no hypoglycaemic events in 26 weeks. With the assumption that a payer would be interested in paying only for successfully treated patients, cost of control was subsequently defined as the price per patient achieving the composite endpoint. The relevant comparator drugs, glimepiride, rosiglitazone and insulin glargine, were defined as those found both in the ‘Liraglutide Effect and Action in Diabetes’ clinical trial programme and on the China national drug reimbursement list. The number needed to treat (NNT) for patients achieving the composite endpoint at week 26 was also investigated. Costs of drug, needle and self-monitoring blood glucose were accounted based on the marketed retail price published by National Development and Reform Commission in 2012 Chinese value. RESULTS: The NNT for patients on liraglutide 1.2mg was 3.1 for achieving the composite endpoint, compared to between 6.7 and 16.7 for the three comparator drugs. This lead to the cost per successfully treated patient to be between 17% and 68% higher with glimepiride, insulin glargine and rosiglitazone compared to liraglutide 1.2mg in China. CONCLUSIONS: By assessing the NNT to achieve HbA1c below 7% with no weight gain and no hypoglycaemic events and the cost per patient achieving this composite endpoint, liraglutide 1.2mg was a cost-saving approach for T2DM patients in comparison with glimepiride, insulin glargine and rosiglitazone in a Chinese setting.