Cost per Patient Achieving Treatment Targets and Number Needed to Treat with Tirzepatide Versus Semaglutide 1 mg in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes in the United States

• Published in: Diabetes therapy 2023-12, Vol.14 (12), p.2045-2055
• Main Authors: Mody, Reema R., Meyer, Kellie L., Ward, Jennifer M., O’Day, Ken B.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Antidiabetics; Cardiology; Comparative analysis; Dextrose; Diabetes; Diabetes therapy; Drugstores; Economic aspects; Endocrinology; GLP-1 receptor agonists; Glucose; Glycosylated hemoglobin; Hypoglycemia; Insulin; Internal Medicine; Liraglutide; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Original Research; Patient compliance; Patients; Pharmaceutical industry; Pharmacy; Type 2 diabetes
• ISSN: 1869-6953; 1869-6961
• DOI: 10.1007/s13300-023-01470-w

Introduction Achieving glycemic control can help reduce complications of type 2 diabetes (T2D). This study compared the pharmacy cost per responder and number needed to treat (NNT) of tirzepatide 5 mg, 10 mg, and 15 mg versus semaglutide 1 mg to achieve glycemic, weight loss, and composite treatment endpoints in patients with T2D in the United States. Methods The proportions of patients achieving glycemic, weight loss, and composite treatment endpoints were obtained from the phase 3 SURPASS-2 randomized clinical trial which compared tirzepatide 5 mg, 10 mg, and 15 mg to semaglutide 1 mg. Annual pharmacy costs were calculated using 2022 wholesale acquisition costs. Cost per responder and NNT were calculated along with 95% confidence intervals and tests for statistical significance ( P  ≤  0.05). Results Tirzepatide had a lower cost per responder to achieve glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) endpoints of ≤ 6.5% (10 mg and 15 mg doses) and